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

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, MAY 03, 2014.

IT’S DERBY DAY – “AND THEY ARE OFF!”
Put on your Easter Bonnet / Derby Hat and hit one of these joints for the big race:

“Sweetwater Social, 643 Broadway, 212-253-7467, 2 to 7 p.m.
Drop into this bar for a derby viewing party, where you’ll find Sweetwater bartenders pouring Derby-themed drinks like bourbon flights, Derby Day punch, and mint juleps. Wear your best hat and fancy dress: There’s a best hat and best dressed contest, and prizes for picking the winning horses. And what’s the Kentucky Derby without spectacular attire, especially hats? Contests for best

Distilled, 211 West Broadway, 212-601-9514, 4 to 7 p.m. (Drink specials 3 to 8 p.m.)
Distilled will broadcast Derby coverage from 4 to 7 p.m., but it’ll get the party started early — and keep it running late — with a slew of Kentucky Derby drink specials, including the Derby shrub, Brown Derby, and mint julep. Derby attire is strongly encouraged.

Maysville, 17 West 26th Street, 646-490-8240, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Book your Derby table at this whiskey-fueled Southern food haunt, where the $75 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) price gets you snacks like grits, deviled eggs, pulled pork sandwiches, spare ribs, and bread pudding plus classic mint juleps. Make reservations by calling the restaurant directly, or you can walk into the bar area for drinks and snacks.” (Village Voice)

Wall to Wall Cabaret
“Even though it is becoming increasingly clear that the word “cabaret” itself isn’t doing anybody any good—no two factions can agree on what it actually means—this free eight-hour mara-fest captures the state of the art of the genre, with nearly all of its contemporary leading figures.

It starts with a master class by the legendary Barbara Cook, and though nothing could improve on that, the subsequent segments include “Cabaret Now” (the most appealing hour, with Emily Bergl, Carole J. Bufford, Molly Pope and Eric Yves Garcia ), “Cabaret Comedy” (Lea DeLaria, Christine Pedi ), “ASCAP and the New American Songbook” ( Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, Jason Robert Brown ), while “Satire, Revolution and Alt-Cabaret” with the brilliantly subversive Taylor Mac, isn’t to be missed.

The biggest guns are fired during “Cabaret Classics”: Barbara Carroll, Sandy Stewart, James Naughton, Steve Ross and the 86-year-old dynamo, the amazing Marilyn Maye (who opens Tuesday at 54 Below).” (WSJ)
Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre, 2537 Broadway, @ 95^th St.
(212) 864-5400

Take a Walk
The Great Saunter, a 32-mile stroll around the perimeter of Manhattan, steps off at 7:30 a.m. (Shorewalkers membership starts at $20)
OR
Spring Crafts on Columbus (also Sunday & May 10-11)
This fair, sponsored by the American Arts and Crafts Alliance, takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the sidewalk of Columbus Avenue, between 77th and 81st Streets.  craftsoncolumbus.com.

Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow, Joey Baron (through May 3)
“There’s a soft glow of erudition to “Wisteria,” a 2012 album by this acoustic piano trio. It comes from all three members of the group — the pianist Steve Kuhn, the bassist Steve Swallow and the drummer Joey Baron — but especially from Mr. Kuhn, one of jazz’s most careful rhapsodists, who recently turned 76.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com;
At 8:30 and 11 p.m. / $40 cover, with a $10 minimum.

Chvrches
“A Scottish synth-pop act that was “born on the Internet,” as its lead vocalist, Lauren Mayberry, has described it (most notably, in an essay last year on the Guardian’s Web site decrying online misogyny), Chvrches posted a single, “Lies,” on the Neon Gold music blog in May, 2012, and instantly formed a devoted fan base, which has continued to grow.

The band consistently delivers engaging originals and distinctive covers of songs by artists including Whitney Houston and Haim. Its début album, “The Bones of What You Believe,” is vaporously light in sound and heavy in mood, and Mayberry’s voice, a quavering soprano, is as vulnerable as it is brave.” (NewYorker)
Terminal 5, 610 West 56th Street, Clinton,
at 11 p.m.,/ may need stub hub for this one
212-582-6600 / 800-745-3000 / terminal5nyc.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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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.

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; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).

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Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music some nights includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man.

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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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Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, MAY 02, 2014.

Marxfest (through May 31)
“The year 1914 is most famously associated with the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and the start of the First World War, but other momentous things happened then—not least, at a poker table in Illinois, the Marx Brothers got their stage names. A few fans of Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Gummo, and Zeppo are determined not to let the anniversary go unnoticed, and they are celebrating all month long, with screenings of “Monkey Business,” “A Day at the Races,” “Duck Soup,” and other films, along with talks, parties, and performances. (marxfest.com / Various locations)” (NewYorker)

Today’s Marxfest Special Event:
From Angels to Anarchists: The Evolution of the Marx Brothers
“Before Groucho Marx became the cigar-puffing, bushy-browed, mustachioed wisecracker of cherished Hollywood farces like Monkey Business, Duck Soup and A Night at the Opera, he was a kid singer with a (reportedly) mediocre voice. Learn more about his rise to goofball glory alongside his four funny bros in this lecture chronicling the comedy team’s path from cherubic child charmers on the vaudeville stage to purveyors of the hammy free-for-all we know and love. American Vaudeville Theater director, writer and host Trav S.D. leads the chat, while old-timey-jazz singer Sarah Moskowitz croons tunes from the brothers’ early rep, including Groucho’s favorite: the immortal “Peasie Weasie.” (TONY)
Coney Island USA, 1208 Surf Ave., at 12th St.
no way this is Manhattan’s WestSide, but if you are a Marx Brothers fan, and who isn’t, you’ll want to find this place. subway: express Q to W 8th St. coney island.
at 7:30pm / $7
718-372-5159 / marxfest.com

Ray LaMontagne
“Ray LaMontagne just released his new Dan Auerbach-produced album “Supernova” on Tuesday. The album moves from his more traditional folk rock sound into psychedelic pop territory.” (DNA Info)
Town Hall, 123 West 43rd St.
800-982-2787, the-townhall-nyc.org
at 9 p.m. / $50
The show is nearly sold out, but there should still be tickets on StubHub

Bike Expo New York (also Saturday)
Bicyclists (including me) look forward to this annual free event — featuring vendors, classes, entertainment and giveaways — which precedes the TD Five Boro Bike Tour on Sunday. (Registration is now closed for that ride.) bikeexponewyork.org.
Expo hours: Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
Pier 36, Basketball City, 299 South Street, at Montgomery Street, Lower Manhattan
This place is not easy to get to.
Subway: F to East Broadway and then a multi block hike;
best to get there on your bike. last year there was a secure area to store it at the venue

The X’s and O’s of Tic-Tac-Toe
Everyone remembers the game Tic-Tac-Toe, but odds are you don’t play it much anymore. There’s a good reason for this — most of us learned back in elementary school that the game is bound to end in a draw. But as the great math puzzle guru Martin Gardner once said, “Many players have the mistaken impression that because they are unbeatable, they have nothing more to learn.”

Join Yale professor Nathan Kaplan as he shows us that there is plenty more to learn about Tic-Tac-Toe. Together we’ll explore interesting strategies and investigate fascinating unsolved problems. Who knew Tic-Tac-Toe could be this much fun?!

Bring your strategic ‘A-game,’ and you’ll have the chance to become the Family Fridays Tic-Tac-Toe grand champion.
National Museum of Mathematics, 11 E. 26th St.
FREE Family Friday 6:30 PM through 8:00 PM
(212) 542-0566 / momath.org

Multiplicity: Joel Harrison and Anupam Shobhakar
“Mr. Harrison, a guitarist-composer of broad imagination, and Mr. Shobhakar, who plays sarod, an Indian lute, have a new album, “Leave the Door Open,” that strikes a vibrant fusion. Revisiting that material here, they jointly lead an ensemble with Samarth Nagarkar on vocals, Jacob Sacks on piano, Anindo Chatterjee on tabla, Hans Glawischnig on bass and Dan Weiss on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street, Greenwich Village,
212-989-9319, corneliastreetcafe.com
At 9 and 10:30 p.m. / $15 cover, with a $10 minimum.
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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 (04/30) and (04/28).

Today’s “Fab 5”+1/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, MAY 01, 2014.

Nels Cline Singers
“Gauzy beauty and abrasive intensity are only two of the many settings favored by Nels Cline, whose visibility as lead guitarist of Wilco has helped to elevate his standing as a bandleader and solo artist. On “Macroscope,” the fifth album by his longstanding Nels Cline Singers, he moves through a range of textures, joined by the bassist Trevor Dunn, the drummer Scott Amendola and a series of guests — one of whom, the percussionist Cyro Baptista, turns up here. Opening the show, in a solo setting, is Mary Halvorson, a smart guitarist whose sensibility overlaps with Mr. Cline’s a lot more than her sound does.” (Chinen-NYT)
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, near Thompson Street, Greenwich Village,
At 6:45 p.m., / $18.
212-505-3474, lepoissonrouge.com

Bernard Malamud Tribute
Bernard Malamud would have turned 100 on April 26. On May 1, The Center for Fiction is celebrating his life and work with a panel discussion featuring the Malamud family as well as prominent admirers of the author from literature, cinema, and beyond. The evening will open with old Calliope recordings of Malamud reading his work, and the just-published Library of America compendium of his work will be on sale. Please join us on May 1 to remember a master.

The event was organized by debut novelist Boris Fishman, repaying a debt to an author who taught him perhaps more than any other as he worked on the book. He will moderate the panel, which will also feature Alan Cheuse, Philip Davis, Clark Blaise, Liesl Schillinger, Kevin Baker, Téa Obreht, and Bharati Mukherjee.
The Center for Fiction, 17 E. 47th St.
At 7:00 pm / FREE and open to the public.
Because their space is intimate, please RSVP . You can do so through their website, by e-mailing at: events@centerforfiction.org, or by calling 212-755-6710.

Enrico Pieranunzi
“The recent reissue of both volumes of the Pieranunzi trio’s splendid “Play Morricone” albums, which were recorded shortly after the turn of the century, as a double-disk set is a vivid reminder of the gifts of this lyrically attuned Italian pianist, who stands beside Martial Solal as one of the great European jazz keyboardists of our time. Although Pieranunzi had a special rapport with the bassist Marc Johnson and the drummer Joey Baron, who were his partners on the Morricone project and other recordings, he’s in fine company here with the bassist Scott Colley and the drummer Joe LaBarbera, the latter of whom teamed with Johnson in the final trio of one of Pieranunzi’s major influences, Bill Evans.” (NewYorker)
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.

Rodrigo y Gabriela (through May 2)
“The Mexican pop-flamenco acoustic guitar duo of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero subverted their fine catalog in 2012 on “Area 52,” which reimagined a selection of their past hits with a 13-piece Cuban orchestra and the timeless producer Peter Asher. This tour supports the release on Tuesday of their fourth studio album, “9 Dead Alive,” on the Rubyworks label.” (NYT-Anderson)
Beacon Theater, 2124 Broadway, at 74th Street,
212-465-6500, beacontheatre.com;
At 8 p.m., / $40 to $75; sold out on Friday

3rd Annual NY Burger Week, May 1-7, 2014
To celebrate National Hamburger Month, Burger Conquest, Burger Maker & The Food Film Festival proudly bring you the 3rd Annual NY Burger Week, May 1-7, 2014.
The Burger Week is a 7-day celebration of trendsetting chefs and unique burgers with a series of daily events.
Hashtag = #BurgerWeek;         Tweet: @BurgerConquest
Ticket link: http://theburgerweek.com/tickets/

The Knife at Terminal 5
“Brother and sister Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer take a number of edgy art, music, political and philosophical influences to produce electronic music that’s one part occult, one part counterculture. Their live shows are like performance art gone wonderfully wild. A must-see. For tickets, visit stubhub.com.” (nycgo.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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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s not difficult finding 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:

Patzeria Perfect Pizza – 231 W46 st (Betw 7th/8th ave)
Perfect name for a pizza joint. On a street filled with Broadway theaters, this is a real hole in the wall, but don’t let the dive look scare you away. You can never go wrong with a slice of NYC pizza, and this one is a classic thin crust. Only a few seats here, but pizza was made to eat standing up.

Shake Shack – 691 8th ave (Betw 43rd/44th st)
Danny Meyer has revolutionized the high quality burger in this town. Now he has a branch on the West Side that was desperately needed, with none of the insane lines that you find at the Madison Sq. Park location. Plus, it may be the cleanest joint to eat in all of Hell’s Kitchen.

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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 – WEDNESDAY, APR. 30, 2014.

Gary Bartz
“It’s safe to say that Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and the other bebop pioneers who used the original iteration of Minton’s to work out the kinks in their new music would not recognize the upscale veneer of the freshly rejuvenated spot. The saxophonist Bartz, who is seventy-three, is too young to have played at the club in its heyday, but his excitable blowing—honed with the likes of Miles Davis and McCoy Tyner—has more than its share of high-style bebop clinging to it. His quartet includes the consistently undervalued drummer Greg Bandy.” (NewYorker)
Minton’s, 206 West 118th Street, Harlem,
212-243-2222, mintonsharlem.com
At 8 and 10 p.m.,
$30 cover at tables, with a two-drink minimum
$20 cover at the bar, with a one-drink minimum

“Books at Noon with Michael Cunningham”
The New York Public Library’s weekly series in Astor Hall (the soaring space just inside the main entry) featuring a writer in conversation with a member of the library’s staff, continues with Michael Cunningham.
Novelist Michael Cunningham, author of the new title The Snow Queen, reads for 30 minutes before answering questions
New York Public Library, Fifth Ave. at 42nd St.
12PM / FREE
917-275-6975

Paul Muldoon & Wayside Shrines
“Four years ago, the rock-and-roll veteran Chris Harford, who so favors musical evolution that one of his backing groups is called Band of Changes and features a perpetually rotating cast of players, began a collaboration with the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Muldoon—the poetry editor for this magazine, a lyricist for the late Warren Zevon, and a part-time guitarist. Harford seized on the title of one of Muldoon’s poems for their new band’s name.

The group, which includes the singer Ila Couch, the bassist Nigel Smith, the keyboardist Noriko Manabe, and the drummer Ray Kubian, released “Word on the Street,” an album and a book of poems by Muldoon, last year. At Joe’s Pub, they appear in the company of the fiddler Julie Myers for an evening of verse and music.” (NewYorker)
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St.
212-967-7555

Conversation with Laurie Anderson
“Ms. Anderson will be among the panelists in a discussion about time and its representation in the visual and performance arts. Those also participating include Melanie Holcomb, curator in the Department of Medieval Art and the Cloisters; the author Rebecca Stead (“When You Reach Me”); and SeungJung Kim, an art historian at the University of Toronto. Part of a museum conversation series titled Spark.” (NYT)
Metropolitan Museum of Art,
212-535-7710, metmuseum.org;
At 6 p.m. / $30.

DNA and the Search for Elusive Creatures
“Is Bigfoot real? New York University’s biological anthropologist Todd Disotell is the person to ask. Disotell runs NYU’s Molecular Primatology Laboratory and has consulted on several Sasquatch-seeking TV shows (10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty and Joe Rogan Questions Everything, though not Finding Bigfoot, sadly). His talk is part of NYU’s Science on the Square series, and will be held at the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB) auditorium, 12 Waverly St at Mercer St.” (TONY)
New York University, 70 Washington Sq South, at La Guardia Pl.
At 4:30PM / FREE
nyu.edu

Bonus Pick – Just in Case
Sopranos, First and Last: An Evening with David Chase
SCREENING & DISCUSSION
David Chase was the creator and showrunner of The Sopranos, and his vision for the series is reflected in all 86 of its episodes. The show had a remarkable team of directors, writers, cast, and crew. Chase directed just two episodes himself: the pilot and the finale. Airing on HBO on January 10, 1999, the first episode introduced James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, the New Jersey mobster, family man, and self-proclaimed “waste management consultant.” The final episode, “Made in America” aired eight years later, on June 10, 2007, with a stunning and widely discussed ending. The Wall Street Journal critic Dorothy Rabinowitz recently called The Sopranos “a dramatic enterprise unequaled in television history, and by most of what Hollywood offers today.”

Indeed, the series was a richly detailed and panoramic allegory of contemporary America, a reinvention of the crime drama, and perhaps the series that inspired the current renaissance of quality television. Here is a special opportunity to see the first and last episodes of The Sopranos on the big screen, in their entirety, followed by a candid and intimate conversation with David Chase.
Museum of Moving Image
at 7:00 p.m.
Unfortunately, this event is sold out, listed here for standby or video simulcast options.
Tickets for the video simulcast are available here. Tickets may become available on a first-come, first-served basis through a standby line. Visit the Museum’s admission desk after 10:30 a.m. on April 30 to secure a position in the standby line.
Tickets: $30 public / $18 Museum members

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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.

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

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

‘Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris’ (through May 4)
William Kentridge: ‘The Refusal of Time’ (through May 11)
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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‘Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes From the Hill Collection’ (through June 15)
“This sensational, beautifully presented show of 33 late-15th- to early-18th-century bronzes reflects a taste for historically important, big-statement examples in exceptional condition. They vividly reflect the Renaissance’s new interest in antiquity and the human form while encouraging concentration on emotional expression, refined details (great hair!), struggling or relaxed figures and varied patinas. Works by the reigning geniuses Giambologna, Susini and the lesser-known Piamontini dominate, further enlivened by a handful of old master and late-20th-century paintings from the Hill collection.”
(Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St.
212-288-0700, frick.org.
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‘Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video’ (through May 14)
“Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944“ (through Apr. 23, 2014)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.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 04/28 and 04/26.

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, APR. 29, 2014.

Writers on War
Join us for an evening honoring the release of Adrian Bonenberger’s new release Afghan Post, where great contemporary writers will discuss what it means to write about war. Adrian Bonenberger is a contributor to The New York Times blog, “At War,” and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. His book is an epistolary memoir of his time serving in the military. Also speaking will be fellow veterans David Abrams, author of Fobbit, and Matt Gallagher author of the memoir Kaboom and an editor of the short story collection Fire and Forget. Lastly, they’ll be joined by the novelist Roxana Robinson, whose latest book, Sparta tells a story of returning from war. These remarkable authors will examine the challenges and importance of writing about war, and its place in contemporary American culture.

Active-duty United States Army officer Peter Molin will moderate the evening. Peter is an English professor at West Point, and writes the blog Time Now, which tracks artistic and literary works related to America’s contemporary wars.
Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway, at 12th St.
212-473-1452, strandbooks.com
7:00pm / purchase of book required for entry.

Nickel Creek
“The mandolin looks tiny in the arms of the six-foot-plus Chris Thile, but his long fingers are no strangers to its skinny fret board. Thile started playing the instrument when he was five, and Nickel Creek came together when he was eight, after he met the Watkins siblings at a pizza parlor. The guitarist Sean Watkins was twelve, and his fiddle-playing sister, Sara Watkins, was eight.

That was twenty-five years ago, and these Southern Californians have been pluckin’ and pickin’ ever since. They recorded with Dolly Parton, released half a dozen studio albums, and won a Grammy, before going on a seven-year hiatus. During their time off, solo and side projects thrived, most notably Thile’s chamber bluegrass group Punch Brothers. To mark their twenty-fifth anniversary, though, they got back together and recorded a new album, “A Dotted Line.” It’s a polished collection of bluegrass-steeped tunes with an acute pop sensibility, expertly executed mandolin passages, and pristine vocal harmonies.” (NewYorker)
Beacon Theatre, Broadway at 74th St.
212-465-6500.

SCENES FROM THE CITY: FILMMAKING IN NEW YORK CITY
Join us for an illustrated talk and book signing by film historian and documentary writer James Sanders on the new edition of Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York. This revised and expanded edition, first published in 2006, is a celebration of the rise of New York-shot films, covering in particular the decades since NYC aggressively promoted the film industry through the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, established in 1966.

James Sanders updates the past dozen years of filmmaking under the Bloomberg administration and adds a section on women filmmakers, as well as rare, behind-the-scenes shots directly from studio archives. The book also explores the recent growth of the City’s television industry. Today the entertainment industry employs 130,000 New Yorkers and contributes more than $7 billion to the local economy each year.

James Sanders, an architect, co-wrote the Emmy Award-winning PBS series New York: A Documentary Film and its companion volume, New York: An Illustrated History, as well as Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies.
Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Pl
6:30PM-8PM / FREE
All guests must RSVP to programs to assure admittance to the event.
Reservation priority is given to Members of The Skyscraper Museum.
(212) 968-1961 / skyscraper.org

German Food: A Journey of Cheese, Wine, and Beer
The evolution of food and drink in Germany is an intriguing story about shifting populations, bounty and scarcity, and a firm pride in tradition. Come learn how Germany’s drive for innovation affects the development of new and unique cheese styles, how a worry over the scarcity of wheat led to a law dictating the quality of German beer to this day, and how the unique terrain of Germany gives us wines that hold their own on the world stage.

Join famed German gastronome Ursula Heinzelmann on a journey through time, learning about the evolution of German food and drink culture.
Bedford Cheese Shop, 67 Irving Place,
At 6:30 p.m. / $25.

Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow, Joey Baron (through May 3)
“There’s a soft glow of erudition to “Wisteria,” a 2012 album by this acoustic piano trio. It comes from all three members of the group — the pianist Steve Kuhn, the bassist Steve Swallow and the drummer Joey Baron — but especially from Mr. Kuhn, one of jazz’s most careful rhapsodists, who recently turned 76.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
212-581-3080, birdlandjazz.com;
At 8:30 and 11 p.m. / $40 cover, with a $10 minimum.
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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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This Week in NYCity (courtesy NYPost, with the best covers anywhere)

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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).

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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:

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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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Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, APR. 27, 2014.

Chef
“Jon Favreau’s tale of an acclaimed chef forced to start anew in a food truck business debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it will run through the weekend. The cast includes Dustin Hoffman and Scarlett Johansson — not to mention Oliver Platt as Favreau’s food critic nemesis. Tickets are available on a standby basis and are first come, first served; additional details can be found on the Tribeca Film Festival website.” (VillageVoice)
at the Tribeca Film Festival, SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, Sunday, 9 p.m.

Ziggy Marley
“Bob’s eldest son and his family band, the Melody Makers, scored a Top 40 hit with the knockout single “Tomorrow People” in 1988 — and a subsequent Grammy for the album that it appeared on, “Conscious Party.” He continues making bright, lissome reggae on solo albums like “Wild and Free” (2011) and the newly released “Fly Rasta.” (NYT-Anderson)
At 9 p.m. /  $36.
S.O.B.’s, 204 Varick Street, at Houston Street, South Village,
212-243-4940, sobs.com

New York International Auto Show (last day)
“Technology is front and center at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. Sometimes it’s offbeat tech, such as a flying car, but this year the focus is more on driver assistance and infotainment services coming to a wider array of cars. Even small cars are loading up on driver tech, such as forward collision warning and lane departure warning, because the technology is cheaper. They’re also in demand from boomers downsizing into the same cars Millennials buy; the older drivers don’t want to give up the tech they had on their big car or SUV.

The 2014 NYIAS also features quick redesigns of cars only a year or two old, such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic. Automakers are getting quicker at fixing what focus groups and reviewers tell them. Most new cars have upgraded infotainment systems; several are showing Apple’s CarPlay. More have LCD displays standard even with no navigation, to better display infotainment and to provide backup cameras in advance of the federal mandate, now set for 2018.” (extremetech.com)
from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th St.
212-216-2000, autoshowny.com
$15, $5 for children 12 and younger

Kurt Rosenwinkel
“Astute listeners who followed Rosenwinkel’s work over the years with such leaders as Paul Motian, Gary Burton, and Q-Tip knew that it was only a matter of time before the astonishingly fluid, post-Metheny stylist would ascend to full-fledged guitar-hero status. Although Rosenwinkel has an affinity for grandeur (earlier albums have found him in league with large ensembles and cushioned by elaborate production effects), he’s appearing at the Village Vanguard with a spiky quartet, perhaps the most effective setting for his dexterous improvising.” (NewYorker)
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.

African Restaurant Week (through May 4)
“This next week is a great opportunity to sample the African offerings in the city. With over fourteen restaurants to choose that will be offering three course prix fixe lunches and dinners, there are plenty of dishes to try. Check out the New York African Restaurant Week website for a full line up of participating restaurants which include Moroccan restaurant Le Souk Harem and African Fusion spot called Farafina. Lunch starts at $17 and dinner at $25.” (EaterNY)

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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.

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

Clearing Winter Blooms – Woodside, Queens

“A pile of wreaths and flowers gathered from gravesites at Cavalry Cemetery in Woodside, Queens, awaiting disposal.” (April 27, 2014)

Every Sunday in the NYT Metropolitan section, a photographer offers a new slice of New York. A wonderful slice of life it is – Thanks NewYorkTimes: N.Y. / Region section

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A PremierPub – Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church st (Btw Franklin/White)

There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door. But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk 1 blk E to Church; 1 blk N to bFlat

===========================================================================================
“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 – SATURDAY, APR. 26, 2014.

SAKURA MATSURI FESTIVAL (also Sunday)
“While the marvelous cherry blossoms are the main draw, an anime dance trio, Okinawan pop band, taiko drum ensemble, lion dancers (pictured) and other groups showcasing Japanese culture add to the fun.” (Anne Machalinski, NewsDay)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 150 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn
This is not Manhattan’s WestSide, but Sakura Matsuri happens only once a year, and it only happens here. subway:#2-3 to eastern pkway/bklyn museum
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 26-27, $25, free for children under 12,
718-623-7200, bbg.org

Revealing Process: A Lecture and Demonstration by Twyla Tharp
Structure, form, and content. Space, time, and energy. The essential elements of a choreographer’s tool kit. Maverick dance maker Twyla Tharp talks about creating “Treefrog in Stonehenge” in the first ever lecture-demonstration of the work. The dance draws on elements of Tharp’s technique and earlier choreography known for its wit, technical precision, and streetwise nonchalance.

Since graduating from Barnard College, Ms. Tharp has choreographed more than 160 works for the concert and commercial stage. She is the recipient of many awards, including a Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor. In 1982 Barnard College awarded her its highest honor, the Barnard Medal of Distinction.
Barnard College, LeFrak Gymnasium, 1st Floor Barnard Hall
at 4:30 pm / FREE, registration required
barnard.edu

Green Festival (also Sunday)
“Tips on how to live a green life — from eating to dressing to having fun — will be covered during this event at Pier 94. It includes workshops, a fashion show, food demonstrations and a game zone for children.” (NYT)
Pier 94, West Side Highway and 55th Street, From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
greenfestivals.org; $15 each day, $25 for the weekend on site; $10 and $20 for 62+, students, members of the military and veterans; free for children 16 and younger

THE HOLMES BROTHERS
“Great songs, whether we write them or not, bring great things,” says guitarist/pianist/vocalist/songwriter Wendell Holmes. “And we are all about striving to write, find and perform great songs.” The Holmes Brothers—Wendell, bassist/songwriter/vocalist Sherman Holmes and drummer/vocalist and brother-in-spirit Popsy Dixon—are true treasures of American roots music. For 35 years, The Holmes Brothers’ joyous and moving blend of blues, gospel, soul, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and country has been captivating audiences around the world.

“Timeless, deeply soulful and uplifting gospel-drenched blues, street corner doo-wop, ballads, R&B, country and funk.” –The New York Times
“Fervent, inspired and joyful blues, R&B, soul, roadhouse rock and gospel…beautiful harmonies, true magic.” –NPR
Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway, at 51st St.
212-582-2121, theiridium.com
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m., $30 cover, with a $15 minimum

Andrew W.K.’s Grand Piano Party
This co-founder of Santos Party House is clearly the happiest man in the world, if his endlessly exuberant Twitter feed is even halfway sincere. Onstage, this idiosyncratic musician perches behind an unsuspecting piano and emits a headbanging, oddly cathartic blend of classical, heavy metal and avant-garde. He has not issued a solo studio album in over four years, but last fall he enjoyed a foray into topical fashion: He sold a T-shirt depicting Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto bleeding above the words “Party Hard,” a nod to Andrew W.K.’s debut album, “I Get Wet.” (NYT-Stacey Anderson)
SubCulture, 45 Bleecker Street, near Lafayette Street, East Village,
212-533-5470, subculturenewyork.com;
At 7:30 p.m. / $25.

Bonus: Food & Drink Events
These are not cheap, but they do sound interesting.
“Looking for a last-minute excuse to drink lots of tasty beer? Head over to Queens for the Five Boro Craft Beer Fest tonight where 33 brewers will be on hand pouring samples of over 100 craft beers. Locals like Sixpoint, Bronx Brewery and Queens Brewery will be on hand, plus you can be one of the first to sample brews Staten Island’s forthcoming Flagship Brewing Co. The event takes over LIC’s enormous beer hall Studio Square from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.; an $85 ticket gets you unlimited pours of suds and some grub from locals spots including Asia Dog and Bite Sized Kitchen.” (Gothamist)
ed note: if you go, be sure to try the Bronx Brewery Pale Ale.
OR
“Transport yourself to New Zealand tonight at The Musket Room, where kiwi chef Matt Lambert is commemorating Anzac Day, which honors the country’s fallen soldiers and citizens. The six-course dinner offers more than the standard lamb we associate with the country; instead, try Smoked Eel with wild garlic or Southland Red Deer with apple and greens. Dinner costs $85 or add a wine pairing for $150; call (212) 219-0764 for reservations.” (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.

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

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.

WHAT’S ON VIEW: Here is a gallery exhibition recommended by the NYT:

Sarah Lucas: ‘NUD NOB’ (last day)
“How far can you go with an art career based on limited set of puerile dirty jokes? Pretty far if you’re Sarah Lucas. Known for funky assemblages and photographs that visually pun on the sexually distinctive features of human anatomy, Ms. Lucas recently was named to represent Britain in next year’s Venice Biennale. This rousing show of monumental phalluses in polished bronze and crusty concrete connects the viscerally low-minded and the intellectually high with terrific economy and shameless panache.” (Johnson)
Gladstone Gallery, 515 West 24th Street, 212-206-9300, gladstonegallery.com.

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 (04/24) and (04/22).

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, APR. 25, 2014.

Ernie O’Malley Symposium on Modern Ireland and Revolution
“This Symposium will address topics as wide ranging as Irish republican intellectual history, feminism & guerilla war, postcolonial approaches to Irish literature, history, and culture, the visual arts, music history, the history of the Irish War of Independence and Civil War, Irish autobiography, queer historiography, folklore, and oral history.

Renowned academics come together to discuss social, cultural, and political revolution in modern Ireland, featuring keynote lectures by Luke Gibbons (NUI Maynooth), R.F. Foster (Oxford), David Loyd (UC Riverside), Nicholas Allen (University of Georgia), and Róisín Kennedy (UCD).

IRA leader Ernie O’Malley in his stylistically innovative memoir On Another Man’s Wound (1936), integrated modernist technique with revolutionary political history, reinvented what it meant to tell the story of Irish anti-colonial struggle.” (ThoughtGallery)
Glucksman Ireland House NYU, 1 Washington Mews
Fri., Apr. 25, 2014 – Sat., Apr. 26, 2014 / All Day
212-998-3950

Concert to Feed the Hungry
“This annual benefit for Buddhist Global Relief has been organized by Dan Blake, a saxophonist who will perform with one of its headliners, the pianist Kenny Werner. (Also in Mr. Werner’s band are the bassist Johannes Weidenmueller and the drummer Richie Barshay.) The other headliner is Esperanza Spalding, the effervescent bassist and singer, in a duo with the pianist Leo Genovese. “ (Chinen-NYT)
Interchurch Center, 475 Riverside Drive, near West 120th St.
At 7 p.m., $40, $100 for V.I.P. tickets
concerttofeedthehungry.org

David Bromberg and David Johansen
“Two key strands of New York City’s musical DNA share the stage at Town Hall. Bromberg was born in Philadelphia, but came of age in the local folk scene of the late sixties and seventies and went on to be a highly respected session player and sideman. He applies a transformational touch to virtually any stringed instrument, and has a special proficiency on the guitar and violin.

Johansen achieved notice in the early seventies as the leader of the New York Dolls, the proto-punk glam-rock band, and then embarked on a series of solo projects: rock-and-roll provocateur, Latin-flavored bandleader (as Buster Poindexter), country-blues interpreter, actor. For this show, Bromberg leads his rousing big band, and Johansen is appearing in the company of the guitarist Brian Koonin.” (NewYorker)
Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St.
800-982-2787

Brooklyn Zine Fest (through Sunday)
“A performance by the comedy group Brain Frame, on Friday night at 8, will kick off this festival devoted to the who, what and hows of self-published works. More than 150 writers, artists and others will be taking part in panel discussions, workshops and various events on Saturday and Sunday.” (NYT)

“BHS is home to a full weekend of Zines – self-published magazines by independent writers, artists, and publishers from Brooklyn and beyond. It’s the place to connect with your favorite creative, independent, and talented voices. Over 100 exhibitors present plus panel talks. Organized by Matt Carman and Kseniya Yarosh and named “the best reassurance that print will survive” by the Village Voice in 2013.” (BookGallery)
Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St., near Clinton St., Brooklyn Heights,
not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is Bklyn’s westside. easy to get to.
subway: #2-3 to Clark St, 1st stop in Bklyn
718-222-4111, brooklynzinefest.com
from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m./ FREE, but tickets to the comedy performance are $8
($5 for Brooklyn Historical Society members)

WESSELL “WARMDADDY” ANDERSON (through Sun., April 27^th)
A Brooklyn native, former Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra member and longtime Wynton Marsalis Septet member, Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson graces the Dizzy’s stage once again. One of the best saxophonists around, Anderson is a renowned performer and bandleader, forming highly lauded bands with musicians of all generations. While rooted in bop, Anderson is known to mix in some soulful New Orleans jazz and a sweeping blues style evocative of Cannonball Adderley.

The band consists of Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson, alto saxophone; Richard Johnson, piano; Reuben Rogers, bass; and Geoff Clapp, drums.
DIZZY’S CLUB AT JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER, 33 West 60th St.
212-258-9595
at 7:30 & 9:30 pm. / $35-$40 cover.

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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.

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

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”/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, APR. 24, 2014.

Poetry and the Creative Mind Gala
“This star-studded annual happening lures poesyphobic New Yorkers with celebrity readers and relatively affordable seats. Big-name proponents of verse, including Meryl Streep, Tina Fey, Patrick Stewart and Esperanza Spalding, tout their favorite poems, in an evening that supports the worthy Academy of American Poets and helps anchor National Poetry Month.” (TONY)
Alice Tully Hall (at Lincoln Center), 1941 Broadway, at 65th St
6:30pm / $45–$75
212-875-5050 / lincolncenter.org

Jill Sobule
“Before Katy Perry, Ms. Sobule wrote a far more sincere “I Kissed a Girl.” It would be impossible to confuse the two anyway: Ms. Sobule’s perspicacious, character-driven folk compositions about politics and social stigmas could not be a farther cry from whipped-cream bustiers and blithe pop ditties. She celebrates the release of her new album, “Dottie’s Charms,” with this City Winery gig. “ (Anderson-NYT)
City Winery, 155 Varick St., near Spring St.
212-608-0555, citywinery.com
At 8 p.m., / $18 to $25.

Jeff Koons on Sculpture
Internationally recognized American artist Jeff Koons will share his impressions about the importance of the small-scale bronze tradition, using examples from the special exhibition Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes from the Hill Collection.
The Frick Collection, 1 E. 70th St.,
at 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm / Free,
but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis; reservations are not accepted.
212-288-0700

‘Ladies and Gentlemen…the Beatles!’ (through May 10)
Fifty years ago The Beatles came to America. On Friday, February 7, 1964, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr arrived from the U.K. at the newly-named John F. Kennedy International Airport. With cameras flashing and reporters jostling, they were whisked into Manhattan amid the screams, shouts and tears of New York area teens, braving the cold for a mere glimpse of the band. Then, that Sunday, the veritable king of the television variety show, Ed Sullivan, introduced them to a captivated American audience of more than 73 million viewers—at the time a television record. And just like that Beatlemania was upon us.

Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles! brings us back to the early ‘60s when rock & roll was re-energized—some say saved—by four lads from Liverpool. The exhibition covers the period from early 1964 through mid-1966—the years Beatlemania ran rampant in America. During this time the band affected nearly every aspect of pop culture, including fashion, art, advertising, media, and, of course, music. On display are many Beatles-related pop culture artifacts from the period, as well as correspondence, instruments, posters, photographs, interviews, interactive displays, and an oral history booth in which visitors can leave their own impressions of The Beatles.
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: 111 Amsterdam Avenue, at 65th Street, Lincoln Center,
Mondays and Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., / FREE
917-275-6975, nypl.org/lpa

Carla Bruni
“Even as she returns to her music career, Ms. Bruni, the former first lady of France, continues to further international relations. She joked in a cute video ad for her fourth album, “Little French Songs,” that her lyrics are “not French, not English — it’s a mix of both and it’s called Frenglish.” The album’s delicate folk-pop ballads make a case for seeing her at Town Hall, no passport required.” (Anderson-NYT)
Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street, Manhattan,
800-982-2787, the-townhall-nyc.org;
At 7:30 p.m. / $59.50 to $99.50.
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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 @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Charles Marville: Photographer of Paris’ (through May 4)
William Kentridge: ‘The Refusal of Time’ (through May 11)
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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‘Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes From the Hill Collection’ (through June 15)
“This sensational, beautifully presented show of 33 late-15th- to early-18th-century bronzes reflects a taste for historically important, big-statement examples in exceptional condition. They vividly reflect the Renaissance’s new interest in antiquity and the human form while encouraging concentration on emotional expression, refined details (great hair!), struggling or relaxed figures and varied patinas. Works by the reigning geniuses Giambologna, Susini and the lesser-known Piamontini dominate, further enlivened by a handful of old master and late-20th-century paintings from the Hill collection.”
(Roberta Smith-NYT)
Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St.
212-288-0700, frick.org.
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‘Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video’ (through May 14)
“Kandinsky in Paris, 1934–1944“ (through Apr. 23, 2014)
Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.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 04/20 and 04/22.