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

Today’s Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, FEB. 02, 2014

Today, of course, is SuperBowl Sunday.
Here are a few fine places to watch the Game:

Broncos Fans:
“Butterfield 8 at 38th Street and 5th Avenue is the only Broncos bar in the city. Bartender Gavin Cunningham said they expect over a hundred people to pack into the front bar, in which case they’ll open up the back bar for the loyal dressed in orange.

On most days, Butterfield’s is a classy – even refined – establishment, with shimmering chandeliers and white linen tablecloths. But on Sundays, Cunningham said, the Broncos schwag – which they get directly from the team – goes up on the wall and all bets are off. “It gets pretty rowdy,” said Cunningham. “This past week we were fully packed.”

Butterfield is doing a $50 unlimited Bud, Bud Light and wings special for the duration of the game – for $15 more you can get unlimited well drinks on top. “ (nypress.com)

Seahawk Fans:
“For the Seahawks faithful, no bar in the city beats Carlow East on Lexington Avenue and 85th Street – if you can get in the door, that is. Owner Sean Spratt said they’re selling $100 tickets via PayPal for an all-you-can-eat-and-drink-6 p.m.-to-midnight-bonanza, with the first tickets being offered to a core group of Seattle transplants that have been coming to to Carlow East every Sunday for years.

Don’t despair though, the bar is teaming up with McSwiggan’s at 2nd Avenue and 23rd Street to handle the overflow. The two together are temporarily changing their names on Super Bowl Sunday to the Hawk’s Nest East and the Hawk’s Nest South.” (nypress.com)

All football fans:
Chelsea Brewing Company
“Boozy game-day deals don’t get much better than this: A $35 ticket buys you access to a halftime buffet, as well as unlimited wine or beer, brought to you by the city’s largest microbrewery. Use that ticket wisely and sample one of the drafts crafted in-house, such as the easy-drinking Checker Cab Blonde Ale. The bar will have three big screens set up, but if you get bored during the third quarter, you can wander around the expansive space and soak up the Hudson River views.” (TONY mag)
Chelsea Piers, Pier 59, 18th St, (at West Side Hwy)

Jack Demsey’s
“Let’s not beat around the bush: Irish pubs have played an integral role in giving sports bars a bad name. But Jack Demsey’s bucks the odds and offers a welcome respite from midtown behemoths like ESPN Zone and Stout NYC. Yes, it draws plenty of tourists (get over it), but there are also local crowds loyal to teams like University of Kentucky basketball and, above all else, Celtic Football Club. A 96-inch screen and a dozen other TVs cover almost anything you’d want to watch.” (TONY mag)
36 W 33rd St, (between Fifth Ave and Broadway)

Bronx Alehouse
Duke Ellington said: “Take the A Train”. For this pub take the #1 train far uptown and watch the game at a classic neighborhood bar in the Bronx – no tourists here. This may not be Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is on the # 1 subway line, and it is on the Bronx’s WestSide. This may be the best beer bar north of midtown. A dozen flat screens for the Game, really good grub, and 16 high quality craft beers that change regularly make this pub worth the trip. Normally filled with Giants fans, I think you’ll see most of this crowd rooting for the Manning Broncos, coached by former NYGiants coach John Fox.
subway: #1 to 238th St.. walk ½ block E
216 W 238th St, (Putnam Ave West and Review Pl), 10463

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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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.
————————————————————————————————————————
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, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs  – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

It’s not difficult 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 Spring 2014)

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, FEB. 01, 2014

NYC Ballet – All Balanchine
Performance Extras – First Position Discussions at 1PM

• Concerto Barocco
▪ Music by: Johann Sebastian Bach
▪ Choreography by: George Balanchine
▪ Principal Casting: Jan 29, Feb 1 mat: Rebecca Krohn*, Abi Stafford, Justin Peck
*first time in role
One of Balanchine’s earliest masterpieces, Concerto Barocco is music made visible with two elegant yet dynamic lead ballerinas each depicting one of the instrumental soloists in Bach’s double violin concerto.

▪ Kammermusik No. 2
▪ Music by: Paul Hindemith
▪ Choreography by: George Balanchine
▪ Principal Casting: Jan 29, Feb 1 mat: Sara Mearns, Zachary Catazaro*, Teresa Reichlen, Jared Angle
*first time in role
▪ Requiring great energy, speed, and precision, the striking choreography for Kammermusik No. 2 echoes the intricacies of its modernist score with jagged lines and stylized gestures.

▪ Who Cares?
▪ Music by: George Gershwin, orchestration by Hershy Kay
▪ Choreography by: George Balanchine
▪ With costumes by Tony Award-winning designer Santo Loquasto, Who Cares? uses some of Gershwin’s most well-known melodies as the basis for syncopated group dances and balmy, romantic duets.
▪ DHK Theater, Lincoln Center
at 2PM

• Michele Lee
  In the last 50 years, an entirely new species of contemporary American diva has emerged, represented by such larger than life singer-actresses as Linda Lavin and the contemporary Emily Bergl —who fashioned dual careers out of shuttling back-and-forth between the Broadway stage and television “dramedies,” and who have also enjoyed significant third careers doing one-woman shows in cabaret rooms.Despite 14 seasons and 344 hours of “Knots Landing,” most of Michele Lee’s fans prefer to remember her as the most vivacious of all musical leading ladies of the 1960s, making an indelible impression as “Rosemary,” the supercharged secretary (wearing a Paris original) who wasn’t a toy but nonetheless helped Robert Morse succeed in business without really trying—and was no less winning in Cy Coleman’s 1973 “cult” musical “See-Saw.” (WSJ Pop Scene)
  54 Below, 254 W 54th St.
  at 8pm/ $45
  (866) 468-7619
• Mark Turner Quartet (through Feb. 2)
  “The tenor and soprano saxophonist Mark Turner, who has done plenty of remarkable work in collective settings, steps into a leadership role with this band, featuring Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Joe Martin on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums. Its coolheaded strain of postbop will soon be captured in album form on ECM, but it’s best heard, at least in the meantime, right here.’ (Chinen-NYT)
  Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
  At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 and $30 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
  212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com
• Dawn of Midi
  Composed of bassist Aakaash Israni, pianist Amino Belyamani and drummer Qasim Naqvi, the trio Dawn of Midi began life in Los Angeles, before relocating to Brooklyn. On last year’s refreshing third album “Dysnomia,” the trio looked like a classic jazz piano trio, but the group favored rhythms and dynamics closer to those of electronic music, be it Four Tet or Aphex Twin. Pointillist and precise to the point of mesmerism, Dawn of Midi also evokes comparison to new chamber music as well as the minimalism of Steve Reich. With Bright Wave. As part of the ongoing Ecstatic Music Festival.” (WSJ Pop Scene)
  Merkin Concert Hall
  129 W. 67th St., (212) 501-3300
• Super Bowl XLVIII is in town and Bryant Park is at the center of the action.
• After strolling SuperBowl Blvd (aka Broadway) walk 1 block E to Bryant Park:
  Verizon Power House
  1:00pm – 11:00pm | Fountain TerraceFootball fans and technology nuts alike will love the Verizon Power House, opening in Bryant Park just in time for the Super Bowl. Come experience 15,000 square feet of personalized, interactive technology – this first-of-its-kind showcase features the latest from the connected world of Verizon. “Suit up” in your favorite team uniform, demo NFL Mobile’s best features, and watch NFL games on LTE Multicast. Upon exiting the Power House, complimentary and secure phone charging will be offered, so go explore the rest of Bryant Park and then pick up your device later!Verizon will release daily questions on Twitter asking its followers to break down the game’s best matchups. Tweet answers to the daily question with #WhosGonnaWin and be sure to look up at the Empire State Building to find out whose team colors will take over when the results are projected LIVE as a light show from 6:00-7:00pm EST, Monday 1/27 through Super Bowl Sunday.
  Verizon Power House hours
  Thurs, 1/30 – Sat, 2/1: 11:00am – 11:00pm (last entry at 10:30pm)
  Sun, 2/2: 10:00am – 1:00pmPEPCITY in Bryant Park
  2:00pm – 6:30pm | Upper TerraceJoin Pepsi for a three-day Super Bowl celebration with #PEPCITY in Bryant Park!
  From 2:00pm – 6:30pm, #PEPCITY will offer unique, artisanal samplings from celebrity chefs David Burke, Marc Forgione, and Michael Psilakis, while incorporating classic NYC cultural experiences like Broadway, art, music, and sports.#PEPCITY will offer free, pre-ticketed concerts at 8:00pm:
  Saturday February 1 – Ziggy Marley
  Please follow links above to secure your ticket, available on a first-come first-served basis from eventbrite.com, starting January 24, 2014 at 12:00 noon.Bank of America Promotion: Football and Hot Beverage Giveaway
  6:00pm – 9:00pm | Throughout the ParkJoin us beginning Wednesday evening, January 29. Bank of America will distribute mini footballs and vouchers for one free hot beverage, redeemable at Ice Bites (located in the Skate Pavilion), Celsius, or the ‘wichcraft kiosk at 42nd and 6th.
  Saturday, February 1 / 10am – 8:30pm

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

  WHAT’S ON VIEW: Here are 3 Special Exhibitions in Chelsea Galleries that you may want to see:

  Martina Bacigalupo: ‘Gulu Real Art Studio’ (through Feb. 8)
  “In 2010 the Italian photojournalist Martina Bacigalupo spent time in the city of Gulu in northern Uganda, where she came across a curious form of portraiture. In a local shop called the Gulu Real Art Studio she found dozens of full-length pictures of sitters from which the heads had been neatly cut out. The shop’s owner, Obal Denis, explained why. His machine for developing passport-size photos automatically produced four prints at a time, but most people coming for an ID picture needed only one. So it was easier, and cheaper, to shoot a regular full-length portrait, edit out a head shot and toss what was left. The pictures in this remarkable show are the result: studies in body language and clothing, accompanied by audio-taped interviews made with some of the sitters.”
  (Cotter-NYT listings)
  The Walther Collection Project Space, 508-526 West 26th Street, Suite 718,
  (212) 352-0683, walthercollection.com.

  ‘Para-Real’ (through Feb. 8)
  “This philosophically catchy 14-artist show reflects a few forms in which reality, whatever that is, impinges. It includes a pile of scrub brushes by Robert Therrien; a self-portrait of Maurizio Cattelan as a real puppet; Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photograph of stuffed golden eagles in a museum diorama; and Thomas Demand’s “Ghost,” a photograph of a colored paper and cardboard construction of a kitchen, wherein some culinary objects hover above the stove, as if tossed up by a poltergeist.” (Johnson-NYT listings)
  601Artspace, 601 West 26th Street,
  (212) 243-2735, 601artspace.org. 

  Richard Serra, “New Sculpture” (through Feb. 8, and March 15)
  “Gagosian’s double dose of Richard Serra presents dueling sides of the sculptor: the popular artist name checked in a Vampire Weekend song, and the confrontational figure familiar from his earlier career.

  The gallery’s West 21st Street location presents the former in fine form, with a single massive work. Curling ribbons of steel, set on edge and towering to ceiling height, nestle together to create Serra’s signature bowing and curving of space. They swallow viewers up in a phenomenological ecstasy one usually associates with, say, walking along a narrow canyon. The metal’s russet color only adds to the sensation of experiencing something more natural than man-made.
  through Feb. 8 at 522 West 21st Street, 212-741-1717

  The tone, if not the scale, of the work shifts on West 24th Street, with a group of sculptures and nary a bend in sight. Hard-edged steel plates, patinated a carceral gray, get in your way like barricades around a government building. A set of enormous blocks serves as a memorial to the recently deceased sculptor Walter De Maria, a friend of Serra’s. Experiential warmth gives way to cold truths as Serra employs his legendary toughness to challenge not only gravity, but death itself.” (Howard Halle/TONY mag)
  through March 15 at 555 West 24th Street, 212-741-1111
  Gagosian Gallery, 522 W 21st St, btw 10th/11th Aves
  Tue–Sat 10am–6pm
  gagosian.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.

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  For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (01/24) and (01/22).

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, JAN. 31, 2014

DANCE ON CAMERA 2014
“Among the diverse offerings during the festival’s forty-second iteration are films about the teacher Martha Hill, the music-video choreographer Vincent Paterson, the tap dancer Derick Grant, and the Bharata Natyam veteran Malavika Sarukkai. There’s rare footage of Rudolph Nureyev and of mid-twentieth-century ice-skating spectaculars. Especially notable is “Creative Domain,” a rare glimpse into the rehearsal process of Paul Taylor.” (NewYorker listings)
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Visit filmlinc.com for full schedule.

AMERICAN SONGBOOK
Tony winner Patina Miller’s flawless performance as the iconic Leading Player in the Broadway revival of Pippin won her the coveted title of 2013 Best Actress in a Musical. The reigning queen of Broadway lends her powerful vocals, alluring stage presence, and infectious energy to her New York solo concert debut in an evening of the music she loves.
Allen Room, Broadway at 60th St.
212-721-6500 / americansongbook.org

Friday Night in Harlem: A Tribute to Duke Ellington
“In celebration of Black History Month, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce will pay tribute to the jazz legend Duke Ellington, with performances by the Manhattan School of Music Swing Jazz Orchestra, Cecil Bridgewater, Arturo O’Farrill and the Grammy Award-winner Regina Belle. Gospel performances will feature the Mass Choir of First Corinthian Baptist Church, which will be joined by the singer-songwriter Valerie Simpson of Ashford and Simpson.” (NYT listings)
Apollo Theater, 253 West 125th St.
At 7 p.m. / $55 to $105.
800-745-3000, apollotheater.org

SuperBowl Discussion
“48 Hours Before Super Bowl XLVIII: The Lasting Impact of Sports’ Greatest Events” Panel discussion and reception.   Speaker(s): Lisa Baird, Gregory A. Ballard, Gregory Carey, Richard Florida, PhD, Kevin M. Hallinan, Constantine E. Kontokosta, Arthur Miller.

The lasting impact of sports’ greatest events on cities and nations is elusive. Host cities spend years preparing for the occasion, while dreaming of enhanced reputation and financial prosperity. But success is more complex. When the fans and athletes leave, how do we measure long-term costs and benefits for cities and their people?
NYU, Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South
4:30 pm. / FREE
scps.nyu.edu/sportsandsociety/events

Super Bowl XLVIII is in town and Bryant Park is at the center of the action.
After strolling SuperBowl Blvd (aka Broadway) walk 1 block E to Bryant Park:
Verizon Power House
1:00pm – 11:00pm | Fountain Terrace

Football fans and technology nuts alike will love the Verizon Power House, opening in Bryant Park just in time for the Super Bowl. Come experience 15,000 square feet of personalized, interactive technology – this first-of-its-kind showcase features the latest from the connected world of Verizon. “Suit up” in your favorite team uniform, demo NFL Mobile’s best features, and watch NFL games on LTE Multicast. Upon exiting the Power House, complimentary and secure phone charging will be offered, so go explore the rest of Bryant Park and then pick up your device later!

Verizon will release daily questions on Twitter asking its followers to break down the game’s best matchups. Tweet answers to the daily question with #WhosGonnaWin and be sure to look up at the Empire State Building to find out whose team colors will take over when the results are projected LIVE as a light show from 6:00-7:00pm EST, Monday 1/27 through Super Bowl Sunday.
Verizon Power House hours
Thurs, 1/30 – Sat, 2/1: 11:00am – 11:00pm (last entry at 10:30pm)
Sun, 2/2: 10:00am – 1:00pm

PEPCITY in Bryant Park
2:00pm – 6:30pm | Upper Terrace

Join Pepsi for a three-day Super Bowl celebration with #PEPCITY in Bryant Park!
From 2:00pm – 6:30pm, #PEPCITY will offer unique, artisanal samplings from celebrity chefs David Burke, Marc Forgione, and Michael Psilakis, while incorporating classic NYC cultural experiences like Broadway, art, music, and sports.

#PEPCITY will offer free, pre-ticketed concerts at 8:00pm:
Saturday February 1 – Ziggy Marley
Please follow links above to secure your ticket, available on a first-come first-served basis from eventbrite.com, starting January 24, 2014 at 12:00 noon.

Bank of America Promotion: Football and Hot Beverage Giveaway
6:00pm – 9:00pm | Throughout the Park

Join us beginning Wednesday evening, January 29. Bank of America will distribute mini footballs and vouchers for one free hot beverage, redeemable at Ice Bites (located in the Skate Pavilion), Celsius, or the ‘wichcraft kiosk at 42nd and 6th.
Wednesday, January 29 through Friday, January 31 / 6pm – 9pm
Saturday, February 1 / 10am – 8:30pm

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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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 best 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, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs  – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
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Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, JAN. 30, 2014

Albert (Tootie) Heath, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street
“Mr. Heath is a jazz drummer of far-reaching experience — he was born in 1935, the youngest of the Heath Brothers, and has worked near the music’s aesthetic center for some 60 years — and he presides as a resident sage in this trio. Featuring a pair of collaborators in their 40s, Mr. Iverson on piano and Mr. Street on bass, the group draws from a stylistically diverse and often-delightful recent album, “Tootie’s Tempo.” (Chinen-NYT)
Smalls Jazz Club, 183 West 10th Street, West Village,
From 9:30 p.m. to midnight/ $20 cover
212-252-5091, smallsjazzclub.com

AMERICAN SONGBOOK – Jason Isbell.
The former Drive-By Truckers front man Jason Isbell.
A native of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, famed guitarist and roots rock singer-songwriter Jason Isbell returns for a rare intimate engagement after his incredible performance at this summer’s Lincoln Center Out of Doors series. Isbell shares a new sound from his acclaimed album Southeastern, a collection of heartbreaking and hopeful songs that speak to his exquisite songwriting and personal story of a bad boy saved by love.
Allen Room, Broadway at 60th St.
212-721-6500 / americansongbook.org.

New York Guitar Festival With Toubab Krewe and Joseph Arthur
“This festival bends both strings and possibilities. The Afropop-influenced instrumental ensemble Toubab Krewe will premiere its original score to “I Was Born, but…,” a Japanese silent comedy from 1932. Mr. Arthur, a spare folk singer-songwriter, also lends a contribution with a new soundtrack for the 1917 Fatty Arbuckle film “Oh Doctor!” (Anderson-NYT)
Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street,
At 7:30 p.m./ $25
212-501-3330, kaufman-center.org

E. L. Doctorow – 
New York University Creative Writing Program Reading Series
E. L. Doctorow, the author of numerous titles, will read from “Andrew’s Brain,” new this year from Random House. His work has garnered many awards including three National Book Critics Circle Awards, the National Book Award, the presidentially conferred National Humanities Medal, and most recently the National Book Foundation’s 2013 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

Introduced by writer and fellow NYU Creative Writing Program faculty member Darin Strauss, the reading is co-sponsored with the NYU Bookstore and Fales Library and Special Collections.
NYU School of Law, Greenberg Lounge, 40 Washington Square South
At 7PM / FREE
212-998-8816, cwp.fas.nyu.edu.

Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin (through Dec.7)
Legendary guitar maker Christian Frederick Martin built his first instrument in the United States in the 1830s. He settled in NYC on Hudson Street, establishing the forerunner of the still family-owned and -operated C.F. Martin & Company, which is located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

After emigrating from Saxony, Martin encountered the Spanish-style guitar and incorporated elements from that tradition into his own Viennese style of instrument construction. The result was a new form of the guitar, a style that would become important as a basis for other American makers of the instrument.

This exhibition includes roughly 35 instruments taken from the Martin Museum in Nazareth, The Met and private collections. Among the Martin guitars on view: a 1939 model made by the company he founded, C. F. Martin & Co, that was played by Eric Clapton.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.
212-535-7710|/ / metmuseum.org/xx

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom’ (through Feb. 23)
“Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa, The Venini Co., 1932–1947” (through March 2, 2014)
‘Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China’ (through April 6)
‘The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925’ (ends April 13)
William Kentridge: ‘The Refusal of Time’ (through May 11)
‘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

‘Chagall: Love, War, and Exile’ (through Feb. 2)
this one is very special – don’t miss it.
Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd St.
(212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

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

What’s on View: Top Photography Exhibitions
(NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide)   

Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014) 

Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969  (through Jan. 26, 2014)

American Museum Natural History 
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies (through May 31, 2014)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 01/22 and 01/20.

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

Coors Light NHL Stadium Series
“It’s a matchup as old as time—nearly as old as Coors versus Bud, in fact. The grudge will be settled once and for all—er, until the next time they meet—when Metropolitan Division rivals the New York Rangers take on the New Jersey Devils in a rare outdoor game on Jan 26. Three days later, the Blueshirts will take on the New York Islanders from that big landmass to the east. Global warming makes alfresco hockey a dicier proposition than it once might have been, so enjoy it while you can.” (TONY mag)
Yankee Stadium,1 E 161st St, btw Jerome and River Aves
newyork.yankees.mlb.com
718-293-4300 / events2014.nhl.com

‘Transit Trivia’
“Those 21 and older who think they know everything about the city’s transit system can put their knowledge to the test at this trivia contest from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Teams will consist of four to six players, and refreshments will be provided by Brooklyn Brewery.” (NYT listings)
New York Transit Museum, Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn Heights,
$15, $10 for members, which includes one free drink.
718-694-1600 / mta.info/mta/museum

LAURA CANTRELL: CD release
“It’s easy to see why the Nashville native has chosen to settle in New York. Although her songs fall into the “country” category, they don’t conform to the current, commercial framework of her home town’s industry. Her music is at once too old-fashioned and too modern. Her songs are admirably direct and clear, like a good friend looking you in the eye and telling the truth about both you and her. Cantrell’s new record, “No Way There from Here,” is just out, and it’s her first album of original songs in nine years, though she did write the title track to “Kitty Wells Dresses,” her gorgeous 2011 tribute to her hero.” (NewYorker listings)
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St.
At 7:30PM / $20
212-539-8778 / joespub.com

Robot Dialogues
Artist Lynn Hershman Leeson, roboticist Heather Knight, bioethics scholar Wendell Wallach and New School faculty member Peter Asaro discuss and demonstrate how humans are talking and interacting with robots that are increasingly capable of conversation.
Tishman Auditorium (at the New School), 66 W 12th St. btw Fifth and Sixth Aves
At 7PM / FREE, but registration is required
212-229-5488 / newschool.edu

Super Bowl XLVIII is in town and Bryant Park is at the center of the action.
Verizon Power House
1:00pm – 11:00pm | Fountain Terrace

Football fans and technology nuts alike will love the Verizon Power House, opening in Bryant Park just in time for the Super Bowl. Come experience 15,000 square feet of personalized, interactive technology – this first-of-its-kind showcase features the latest from the connected world of Verizon. “Suit up” in your favorite team uniform, demo NFL Mobile’s best features, and watch NFL games on LTE Multicast. Upon exiting the Power House, complimentary and secure phone charging will be offered, so go explore the rest of Bryant Park and then pick up your device later!

Verizon will release daily questions on Twitter asking its followers to break down the game’s best matchups. Tweet answers to the daily question with #WhosGonnaWin and be sure to look up at the Empire State Building to find out whose team colors will take over when the results are projected LIVE as a light show from 6:00-7:00pm EST, Monday 1/27 through Super Bowl Sunday.
Verizon Power House hours
Wed, 1/29: 1:00pm – 11:00pm (last entry at 10:30pm)
Thurs, 1/30 – Sat, 2/1: 11:00am – 11:00pm (last entry at 10:30pm)
Sun, 2/2: 10:00am – 1:00pm

PEPCITY in Bryant Park
2:00pm – 6:30pm | Upper Terrace

Join Pepsi for a three-day Super Bowl celebration with #PEPCITY in Bryant Park!
From 2:00pm – 6:30pm, #PEPCITY will offer unique, artisanal samplings from celebrity chefs David Burke, Marc Forgione, and Michael Psilakis, while incorporating classic NYC cultural experiences like Broadway, art, music, and sports.

#PEPCITY will offer free, pre-ticketed concerts at 8:00pm on the following nights:
Wednesday January 29 – Austin Mahone
Thursday January 30 – Prince Royce
Saturday February 1 – Ziggy Marley
Please follow links above to secure your ticket, available on a first-come first-served basis from eventbrite.com, starting January 24, 2014 at 12:00 noon.

Bank of America Promotion: Football and Hot Beverage Giveaway
6:00pm – 9:00pm | Throughout the Park

Join us beginning Wednesday evening, January 29. Bank of America will distribute mini footballs and vouchers for one free hot beverage, redeemable at Ice Bites (located in the Skate Pavilion), Celsius, or the ‘wichcraft kiosk at 42nd and 6th.
Wednesday, January 29 through Friday, January 31 / 6pm – 9pm
Saturday, February 1 / 10am – 8:30pm

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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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, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs  – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, JAN. 28, 2014

GOLDEN ARM TRIO
“The Austin, Texas-based pianist, drummer, and film composer Graham Reynolds brings his long-standing band to town for a rare appearance. Reynolds’s taut compositions, here performed by piano, pedal steel, bass, drums, and a special guest, Todd Reynolds, on violin, reveal a variety of influences, including John Barry’s classic sixties Bond themes and Western swing.

For this performance, the group will perform selections from the numerous Richard Linklater movies that Reynolds has scored, a few rock-tinged Ellington compositions, and an excerpt from an intriguing new work of his called “Marfa Triptych: Three Portraits of West Texas.” (NewYorker listings)
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St.
At 7:3pm / $20
212-539-8778 / joespub.com

Mark Turner Quartet (through Feb. 2)
“The tenor and soprano saxophonist Mark Turner, who has done plenty of remarkable work in collective settings, steps into a leadership role with this band, featuring Avishai Cohen on trumpet, Joe Martin on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums. Its coolheaded strain of postbop will soon be captured in album form on ECM, but it’s best heard, at least in the meantime, right here.’ (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 and $30 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com

A Look at Mars and Mercury
This program in the Hayden Planetarium gives a bird’s-eye view of the two planets. Hosted by Carter Emmart, director of astrovisualization at the museum, the show utilizes information from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s context camera and the Mercury Messenger to transport viewers to the surfaces of each planet.
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th Street,
At 6:30 p.m./ $15, $13.50 for 60+,
212-769-5200, amnh.org

LUTHER DICKINSON + ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART PREMIERE
SCORES TO CLASSIC SILENT FILMS
Formerly lead guitarist with The Black Crowes and current front-man for North Mississippi Allstars, Memphis-born Luther Dickinson deploys his aggressively Southern sensibility to Walter Ruttman’s 1927 documentary portrait of a Berlin long gone by, Berlin: Symphony of a Great City. A painter and a chamber musician before becoming a filmmaker, Ruttman cast an impressionistic eye over a single day-into-night of life observed in the German capital.

Grammy-winning country-blues guitarist/singer Alvin Youngblood Hart applies his signature rootsy style to “Fatty” Arbuckle’s 1918 spoof on westerns, Out West. Arbuckle co-stars with Buster Keaton against the backdrop of Mad Dog Gulch, “the toughest town in the movies.”
Merkin Concert Hall
Kaufman Music Center 129 West 67th Street (between Broadway and Amsterdam)
At 7:30PM / $25
(212) 501-3330 / kaufmanmusiccenter.org

Pop Culture Phenomena with Alan Light, Glenn Kenny and Rob Sheffield
“What’s the magic element that makes a pop song an earworm? Journalists Alan Light and Rob Sheffield, who have contributed to Rolling Stone and Spin magazines, and MSN film critic Glenn Kenny examine our obsession with pop culture, from music to movies.” (nycgo.com)
Word, 126 Franklin St. (at Milton St.)
at 7PM / FREE
718-383-0096 / wordbookstores.com.

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

WHAT’S ON VIEW: Special Exhibitions @ 4 MUSEUMS (Manhattan’s WestSide)

‘Walker Evans: American Photographs’ (through Mar. 09)
“In 1938, the Museum of Modern Art mounted its first one-person photography exhibition: “American Photographs,” by Walker Evans. This gripping, 75th-anniversary reprise of that show presents more than 50 images from that body of work. It is accompanied by a reissue of the original catalog, which includes a wonderfully insightful essay by Evans’s friend and supporter Lincoln Kirstein. Together, the show and the book reverberate now in a time when the idea of America is subject to debates as fractious and far-reaching as at any time since the Civil War.” (Johnson-NYT)
Isa Genzken: ‘Retrospective’ (through March 10)
‘Ileana Sonnabend: Ambassador for the New’ (through April 21)
 ‘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.
==========================================================

‘Out of Hand: Materializing the Postdigital’ (through June 1)
“If you haven’t quite wrapped your head around the concept of 3-D printing, or haven’t yet had a digital scanner wrap itself around you, now you can do both in this survey of computer-assisted art, architecture and design. The show looks at art made since 2005 and fills nearly three floors, including many irresistible interactive projects. Its ideas may not be entirely new; the Museum of Modern Art’s 2008 exhibition “Design and the Elastic Mind” covered much of the same territory, but there’s something to be said for this more down-to-earth, production-focused exhibition.” (Rosenberg-NYT)
Museum of Arts and Design, Columbus Circle,
212-299-7777,madmuseum.org.
==========================================================

‘The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution’ (through Feb. 23)
“The Historical Society visits a watershed exhibition in the history of American art (and a significant event in the annals of New York City) with this centennial celebration of the 1913 Armory Show, the controversial survey that introduced New York audiences to the works of such modern artists as Duchamp, Matisse, Picasso, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Some of those same pieces return here.” (TONY listings)
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, at 77th St.
(212) 873-3400 / nyhistory.org.

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

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 (01/26) and (01/24).

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

The Royal Ballet
“Giselle,” the haunting ballet classic, is not on a New York stage at the moment and neither are Natalia Osipova or Carlos Acosta. But for one night you can catch those superstars tackle two of ballet’s most revered roles in a performance at a local movie theater. It’s a rare opportunity to see one of the Royal Ballet’s most popular productions in its home theater.” (Schaefer-NYT)
Empire 25 (Imax), 234 West 42nd St.
At 7 p.m. / $15
fathomevents.com

Conversation with Angélique Kidjo 
Angélique Kidjo, the Grammy Award-winning singer from Benin, will talk about her life, career and new memoir, “Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music,” co-written with Rachel Wenrick and released this month.
Fishman Space, Fisher Building, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 321 Ashland Place, near Lafayette Avenue,
At 7:30 p.m./ $20.
718-636-4100, bam.org

NYC Ballet Seminar
A unique opportunity to hear about the creative process and daily experiences of the artists of New York City Ballet. These discussions will reveal how dancers, composers, and choreographers prepare for performances, from their years of training, through hours of rehearsals and finally, performances on the stage. Other collaborative artists may also speak about their designs for lighting, costumes, and scenery.
DHK Theater, Lincoln Center, Columbus Ave & 63rd St.
at 6PM/ $15
212-496-0600 / nycballet.com

Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks
If you haven’t yet checked out the Nighthawks’ new digs, what are you waiting for. “The band (which has just released their second volume of music from HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”) now actually sounds better, audio-wise, and the menu is a vast improvement over the band’s previous venue—overall, it is a step up, to the second floor, rather than a flight down, to the basement.

Although longtime fans are currently referring to the Nighthawks as “The Iguana Troubadours,” they continue to play with the same amazing combination of skin-tight historical authenticity and sheer, relentless energy, plus a tempo that has always characterized Mr. Giordano’s bands.” (WSJ-Will Friedwald)
Iguana, 240 W. 54th St., (Btw 8th/B’way)
8pm-11pm / $15 cover, $20 food/drink minimum
(212) 765-5454 / iguananyc.com

Works & Process
“In the new world order of technology, everything has an app. Dance is now in on the game, thanks to the dance publisher 2wice Arts Foundation. The 2wice team will discuss dance in the digital world in “Dancing From Page to Stage to Screen,” part of the Guggenheim Museum’s popular conversation series. The team members will also talk about the development of their latest app, “Dot Dot Dot,” featuring the choreographer and dancer Tom Gold, that allows users to choreograph from the comfort of their smartphone.’ “(Schaefer-NYT)
Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
At 7:30 p.m. / $35
212-423-3587, worksandprocess.org

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

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, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs  – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

Today’s “Fab 4”/ Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, JAN. 26, 2014

Guillermo Klein y Los Guachos* (last day)
“The growing resurgence of the large ensemble in contemporary jazz is a welcome trend that owes much to this farsighted Argentinean composer, arranger, and bandleader who was ahead of the curve by the nineties. Klein returns to the city with his bold Los Guachos unit, which incorporates elements of his native musical influences and features such vital local players as the saxophonist Bill McHenry and the guitarist Ben Monder.” (NewYorker listings)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street, West Village,
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m./ $25 and $30, , with a one-drink minimum.
(212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com

‘Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul’ (last day)
This exhibition, drawn from collections at the New York Public Library and the Morgan, comprises poems, short stories and letters and includes early editions of Poe’s work as well as his last published book.
Morgan Library & Museum,225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street,
from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. / $18, $12 for those 65+
(212) 685-0008, Ext. 560,themorgan.org

Early American Guitars: The Instruments of C.F. Martin (through Dec.7)
Legendary guitar maker Christian Frederick Martin built his first instrument in the United States in the 1830s. He settled in NYC on Hudson Street, establishing the forerunner of the still family-owned and -operated C.F. Martin & Company, which is located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

After emigrating from Saxony, Martin encountered the Spanish-style guitar and incorporated elements from that tradition into his own Viennese style of instrument construction. The result was a new form of the guitar, a style that would become important as a basis for other American makers of the instrument.

This exhibition includes roughly 35 instruments taken from the Martin Museum in Nazareth, The Met and private collections.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Ave. at 82nd St.
212-535-7710|/ / metmuseum.org/

Monty Alexander
“Mr. Alexander, an effervescent pianist, plays in the company of longtime associates. With the Harlem-Kingston Express he will give his Jamaican heritage an uptown twist in a group that typically includes two bassists and an impressive clutch of drummers.” (Chinen-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village,
At 8 and 10:30 p.m./ $35 cover at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 minimum
(212) 475-8592, bluenote.net

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

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 are 3 Special Exhibitions in Chelsea Galleries that you may want to see:

Martina Bacigalupo: ‘Gulu Real Art Studio’ (through Feb. 8)
“In 2010 the Italian photojournalist Martina Bacigalupo spent time in the city of Gulu in northern Uganda, where she came across a curious form of portraiture. In a local shop called the Gulu Real Art Studio she found dozens of full-length pictures of sitters from which the heads had been neatly cut out. The shop’s owner, Obal Denis, explained why. His machine for developing passport-size photos automatically produced four prints at a time, but most people coming for an ID picture needed only one. So it was easier, and cheaper, to shoot a regular full-length portrait, edit out a head shot and toss what was left. The pictures in this remarkable show are the result: studies in body language and clothing, accompanied by audio-taped interviews made with some of the sitters.”
(Cotter-NYT listings)
The Walther Collection Project Space, 508-526 West 26th Street, Suite 718,
(212) 352-0683, walthercollection.com.

‘Para-Real’ (through Feb. 8)
“This philosophically catchy 14-artist show reflects a few forms in which reality, whatever that is, impinges. It includes a pile of scrub brushes by Robert Therrien; a self-portrait of Maurizio Cattelan as a real puppet; Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photograph of stuffed golden eagles in a museum diorama; and Thomas Demand’s “Ghost,” a photograph of a colored paper and cardboard construction of a kitchen, wherein some culinary objects hover above the stove, as if tossed up by a poltergeist.” (Johnson-NYT listings)
601Artspace, 601 West 26th Street,
(212) 243-2735, 601artspace.org. 

This was one you just missed and it was monumental:

Richard Serra, “New Sculpture” (until Sat. Jan. 25, 2014)
“Gagosian’s double dose of Richard Serra presents dueling sides of the sculptor: the popular artist name checked in a Vampire Weekend song, and the confrontational figure familiar from his earlier career.

The gallery’s West 21st Street location presents the former in fine form, with a single massive work. Curling ribbons of steel, set on edge and towering to ceiling height, nestle together to create Serra’s signature bowing and curving of space. They swallow viewers up in a phenomenological ecstasy one usually associates with, say, walking along a narrow canyon. The metal’s russet color only adds to the sensation of experiencing something more natural than man-made.

The tone, if not the scale, of the work shifts on West 24th Street, with a group of sculptures and nary a bend in sight. Hard-edged steel plates, patinated a carceral gray, get in your way like barricades around a government building. A set of enormous blocks serves as a memorial to the recently deceased sculptor Walter De Maria, a friend of Serra’s. Experiential warmth gives way to cold truths as Serra employs his legendary toughness to challenge not only gravity, but death itself.” (Howard Halle/TONY mag)
Gagosian Gallery, 522 W 21st St, btw 10th/11th Aves
Tue–Sat 10am–6pm
212-741-1717 / gagosian.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 (01/24) and (01/22).

Today’s “Fab 4”/ Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, JAN. 25, 2014

“The Armory Show at 100: Modern Art and Revolution” (thru Feb 13)
“The Historical Society visits a watershed exhibition in the history of American art (and a significant event in the annals of New York City) with this centennial celebration of the 1913 Armory Show, the controversial survey that introduced New York audiences to the works of such modern artists as Duchamp, Matisse, Picasso, Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Some of those same pieces return here.” (TONY listings)
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, between 76th and 77th Sts
Sat 10am–6pm; Tue–Thu, Fri 10am–8pm; Sun 11am–5pm
$18, seniors $14, students $12
Fri 6–8pm pay what you wish
212-873-3400 / nyhistory.org

BILLY CHILDS JAZZ CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
“Although Childs gained early notice for his taut piano work with such hard-bop heroes as Freddie Hubbard, he’s now most recognized for Grammy-winning recordings that ingeniously blend jazz and classical music. Here his sextet, which includes the celebrated drummer Brian Blade, will interact with the Ying String Quartet.” (NewYorker listings)
Allen Room, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St.
At 7PM / $55-$75
212-721-6500

‘The Power of Poison’ (through Aug. 10)
The good and bad uses of poison will be covered in this interactive exhibition that includes animation and a bit of theater. In his review for The New York Times, Edward Rothstein said that this is one of the museum’s “most theatrical exhibitions” and that the curating team has “combined elements with deft curatorial alchemy, touching on every taxonomical category.”
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79th Street,
Daily from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m./ $22, $17 for students and 60+
(212) 769-5200, amnh.org

SATURDAY AT THE BALLET WITH GEORGE
Each winter the NYCB celebrates the birthday of Founding Choreographer George Balanchine with a full day of activities and performances. This year’s highlights include movement workshops for adults and children, a special onstage presentation on the training of an NYCB dancer, and two dazzling performances: a mixed all-Balanchine repertory program and his opulent full-length ballet Jewels, which showcase the mastery of this 20th-century choreographer.

The workshops look to be sold out, but for detailed info on all the programs and ticket info go to the NYCB website: nycballet.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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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, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs  – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

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

Fish – 280 Bleecker St (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $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. 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 Spring 2014)

Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, JAN. 24, 2014

Green Porno (through Jan. 25) NY PREMIERE
Isabella Rossellini reveals the kinky and confounding mating rituals of insects and marine life in this delightful one-woman show, adapted from the celebrated Sundance Channel series of the same name.
“…fascinating, a testament to nature’s amazing variety.” The New York Times

Art-house luminary Isabella Rossellini reveals the surprisingly kinky and confounding mating rituals of insects and marine life in this one-woman show, adapted from the celebrated Sundance Channel series of the same name. With day-glo costumes and paper puppets, Rossellini channels a host of reproductive oddities based on a text by the influential French screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière (The Mahabharata, 1987 Next Wave; The Tin Drum).

Part nature documentary, part DIY cartoon, Green Porno is a cheeky, delightful zoology lesson brought vividly to life by Rossellini’s singular flair for storytelling.
BAM Fisher, Fishman Space
At 7:30pm / $120 ($30 rush*)

VIJAY IYER
“This 2013 MacArthur Fellowship-winning pianist and composer is also an intrepid conceptualist unafraid to address political and social issues in his ambitious multimedia projects. But a trio setting may be the best way to appreciate his daring playing, as heard on such important recordings as the critically acclaimed album “Accelerando”; he’s joined here by his longtime bandmates Stephan Crump, on bass, and Marcus Gilmore, on drums.” (NewYorker listings)
Allen Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St.
At 7PM / $55-$75
212-721-6500.

WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW (through Feb. 02)
“Each winter, the most prestigious antiques show in America comes to the Park Avenue Armory, featuring “the best of the best,” from Roman antiquities to mid-century-modern items. Expect to see plenty of Americana, plus English, European and Asian fine wares and decorative arts. The show also serves as a benefit for the East Side House Settlement, a community resource in the South Bronx that provides social services and educational programs to give people the tools to improve their economic status and their lives.”(nycgo.com). For more information, visit winterantiquesshow.com.
Park Avenue Armory, Park Ave. at 67th St.
718-665-5250

‘Madama Butterfly’ *
“This revival of the Metropolitan Opera’s potent, gorgeously colored production of Puccini’s masterwork features the Met debut of the South African soprano Amanda Echalaz as the betrayed Cio-Cio-San. The youthful cast features another debutant, the baritone Scott Hendricks, as Sharpless, as well as the talented tenor Bryan Hymel as the callous Pinkerton and the mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as the loyal Suzuki.” (Woolfe-NYT listings)
Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center,
At 7:30 p.m.,/ $27 to $445.
(212) 362-6000, metoperafamily.org

BOBBY MCFERRIN (through Jan.25)
For some, McFerrin may be little more than a one-hit wonder (1988’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy”). For those who have kept tabs on this gifted and eclectic vocalist, though, that pop transgression has been long forgotten. His current Spirityouall project is a personal endeavor that celebrates McFerrin’s faith in song, spotlighting the singer’s inclusive ease with all manner of American vocal idioms as he touches on traditional fare, originals, and such material as Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released.”
Rose Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th St.
At 8pm / $30-130
212-721-6500

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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What’s on View:
Special Exhibitions @ 3 Museum Mile / Fifth Ave. Museums:

‘Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom’ (through Feb. 23)
“Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa, The Venini Co., 1932–1947” (through March 2, 2014)
‘Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China’ (through April 6)
‘The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925’ (ends April 13)
William Kentridge: ‘The Refusal of Time’ (through May 11)
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

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‘Chagall: Love, War, and Exile’ (through Feb. 2)
this one is very special – don’t miss it.
Jewish Museum 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd St.
(212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org

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

What’s on View: Top Photography Exhibitions
(NYCity / Manhattan’s WestSide)   

Museum of Modern Art 11 West 53rd Street / 212-708-9400
Walker Evans: American Photographs (through Jan. 26, 2014) 

Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street) / 212-535-7710
Everyday Ephiphanies: Photography and Daily Life Since 1969  (through Jan. 26, 2014)

American Museum Natural History 
79th St. And Central Park West / (212) 313-7278
Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies (through May 31, 2014)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 01/22 and 01/20.