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

Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – SATURDAY, July 27, 2013

The Audacity of Hops: the history of america’s craft beer revolution
In 1975, there was one craft brewery in the United States; today, there are more than 2,000. Powered by millions of savvy, devoted consumers and raking in billions of dollars annually for producers and retailers, the American craft beer movement has changed the brewing industry and the international reputation of American beer. It has upended the Big Beer giants that once seemed untouchable and forever altered the culinary habits of not only millions of Americans but millions more worldwide.

This delicious story of plucky triumph has never been chronicled in one volume—until now. Based on thorough research as well as interviews with all of the most influential names in craft brewing since the 1960s, The Audacity of Hops brims with charming, remarkable tales, which together weave a very American business story, one of formidable odds and refreshing success.
BookCourt, 163 Court Street, Bklyn
book reading, q+a, and signing.
At 4PM / FREE  (drinks will be served)
875-3677 / info@bookcourt.com
For some special events we need to take the #2/3 outside manhattan.
Subway: #2/3 to Borough Hall. Walk 6 short blks S on Court St.

Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra: Free Preview Concert
Program: Mozart: Symphony No. 40 Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall
Between West 62nd and 65th Streets (Columbus / Amsterdam Ave)
At 7:30PM / FREE  (tickets available at box office starting 10am)
1-212-875-5000 /

Ozomatli, a Grammy-Winning Cross of Hip-Hop, Rock, Funk, & Salsa
L.A. culture-mashing collective Ozomatli retakes the stage for a full-on border-crossing set of hip-hop and rock, funk, salsa, cumbia, and more. With an activist spirit to match its hard-hitting beats, the multi-Grammy-winning band captures the sound of a drop-top drive down sonically diverse Sunset Boulevard.
Lincoln Center, Damrosch Park Bandshell, Amsterdam Ave. & W. 62nd St.
At 8:00PM / FREE
1-212-875-5000 /

Jazz Age Soirée wit’s end’s ‘Wild Party’
Come to Wit’s End and drink Prohibition era cocktails and celebrate the darker side of jazz age social life and the degenerate music of the 1920s and 1930s with live hot speakeasy jazz from Wit’s End favorites, Gelber and Manning!

Come in your most scandalous vintage attire, decadent lingerie, swimwear (or less!) and dance to jazz age songs of sex and drugs and other vices in an authentic 1920s speakeasy (Texas Guinan’s Club In time, now at Flute Midtown, 205 W. 54th Street at Broadway)!

Our lovely hostess is burlesque showgirl Miss Em! Our co-sponsor is the Dorothy Parker Society, the drinking club with a book problem.

Dress code: Jazz age lingerie, evening wear or bathing attire, jacket and tie, vintage or vintage-inspired cocktail attire and of course, seasonal! 1920s, 30s and 40s vintage is encouraged!
Flute Midtown, 205 W. 54th Street at Broadway
At 8:30 (dance lesson) / $12
212.265.5169 / clubwitsend.com/

Odean Pope Saxophone Choir With James Carter (through Sunday)
“Led by Mr. Pope, a tenor saxophonist and composer from Philadelphia, this band features nine saxophones and a rhythm section and produces an unmistakable, vibrant sound. As on a recent album, “Odean’s List” (In and Out), this engagement features yet another saxophonist as a guest soloist: Mr. Carter, a longtime admirer and fellow traveler of the band.” (Chinen-NYT)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village
At 8 and 10:30 p.m./$35 at tables, $20 at the bar, with a $5 min
(212) 475-8592, bluenote.net

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places / 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 night 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.

“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, cocktail lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.
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Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, July 26, 2013

The Masters Quartet: Steve Kuhn, Dave Liebman, Buster Williams, Billy Hart* (through July 27)
“The members of this all-star band share some history: the pianist Steve Kuhn, the saxophonist Dave Liebman, the bassist Buster Williams and the drummer Billy Hart have all crossed paths in various contexts over the years.  And they come by their lofty moniker with some valid credentials: Mr. Liebman was honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master a couple of years ago, and if there’s any justice, the others shouldn’t be far behind him.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
At 8:30 and 11 p.m., $30 and $40 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com

Pilobolus (through Aug. 4)
“Any evening with Pilobolus is like a magic show, with bodies balancing and contorting in seemingly impossible ways. In “esc,” a New York premiere in the first of two programs at the Joyce, the troupe joins forces with Penn & Teller, combining its own corporeal stunts with the duo’s Houdini-inspired exploits. Program B features another new work, “Licks,” in which the frequent Pilobolus collaborator Trish Sie envisions a zany world for 6 dancers, 12 ropes and a rollicking soundtrack by Tijuana’s Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible.” (Burke-NYT)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea,
at 7:30 p.m. / $10 to $75.
(212) 242-0800 / joyce.org

AmericanaramA Festival of Music  with Bob Dylan and Wilco
Pier A Park
First Street & Frank Sinatra Dr. Hoboken, N.J.
www.hobokennj.org
CONSIDER THIS THE FAR WEST SIDE OF MANHATTAN.
#1 TO CHRISTOPHER ST. WALK 3 BLKS W ON CHRISTOPHER ST TO PATH TRAIN.
1 STOP TO HOBOKEN.

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Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums (WestSide & the BklynMuseum) 

‘Claes Oldenburg: The Street and the Store’ and ‘Claes Oldenburg: Mouse Museum, Ray Gun Wing’ (through Aug. 5)
‘Performing Histories (1)’ (through Aug. 5)
‘Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light’ (through Aug. 12)
‘Ellsworth Kelly: Chatham Series’ (through Sept. 8)
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St,
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
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‘Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft and Design’* (through Sept. 15)
Museum of Arts and Design: 2 Columbus Circle,
299-7777, madmuseum.org.
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‘John Singer Sargent Watercolors’  (through July 28) [see review below]
‘Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui’ (through Aug. 4)
‘LaToya Ruby Frazier: A Haunted Capital’ (through Aug. 11)
Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park,
(easy ride from midtown on #2 or #3 subway to Eastern Pkway/Bklyn Museum)
(718) 638-5000 / brooklynmuseum.org

John Singer Sargent Watercolors
“The exhibition brings together 93 of his watercolors and 9 oil paintings from the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Both institutions acquired significant quantities of his work early on, the Brooklyn Museum from Sargent’s career debut show in New York in 1909 and the Boston museum from a solo show there in 1912. The beauty of Sargent’s watercolors is in how seemingly effortlessly yet exactly he captured outdoor light and complicated man-made and natural forms. In landscapes, close studies of fruit and flowers and portraits of women you see at once the supremely deft action of the brush and the illusions of a sun-drenched halcyon world that it conjures. Prepare for bedazzlement.” (KEN JOHNSON-NYT)
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 07/24 and 07/22.

Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, July 25, 2013

Broadway in Bryant Park  (Thursdays through Aug. 15)
A series of music from the most popular Broadway and Off Broadway shows performed by the shows’ cast members. Today’s performances includes excerpts from “Avenue Q”, “Rock of Ages”, “Soul Doctor”, “Murder Ballad”, and “Gazillion Bubble Show”. Presented by 106.7 Lite FM, the series also features a guest D.J. from the radio station as well as cast members from other shows – this Thursday the D.J. is Christine Nagy, and the show is “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”.
Bryant Park, 6th Ave., Btw 40th/42nd St.
At 12:30 p.m. / FREE
(212) 768-4242 / bryantpark.org.

Mark Dendy Dance & Theater Projects’ Ritual Cyclical
“The Lincoln Center plaza bursts with the propulsive movement of Mark Dendy’s 80 dancers, dancing to classic recordings by Kronos Quartet. Dendy, whose inventive choreography includes everything from Mozart operas to Rockettes extravaganzas, draws on the ritual movements shaped by public spaces to make full use of the distinctive architecture, including its reflecting pool and grove. Viewers direct their own experiences by moving around and among the dancers.”

Commissioned by Lincoln Center Out of Doors and American Dance Festival in honor of the 80th Anniversary of ADF and the 40th Anniversary of Kronos Quartet.
Lincoln Center, Hearst Plaza
40 Lincoln Center – 65th St. bet. Columbus & Amsterdam Aves.
At 6PM / FREE (RSVP required)
1-212-875-5000

River & Blues with the Grammy-Nominated Christian Scott Quintet
Enjoy sunsets and live blues along the Hudson River.
Grammy-nominated trumpet sensation Christian Scott plays original compositions with one foot deep in his New Orleans roots, and the other leaping forward with the Rock and Hip Hop influence of his NYC home.
At 7:00PM / FREE
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park – Battery Park City (access: Battery Place)
1-212-267-9700

Fred Hersch Trio with Joe Lovano* (through July 28)
“The unfalteringly elegant jazz pianist Fred Hersch has been in an especially sociable mode lately: he has new or forthcoming albums made in collaboration with the trumpeter Ralph Alessi, the pianist Benoît Delbecq and the guitarist Julian Lage. His featured conversationalist next week will be Joe Lovano, a saxophonist who shares his knack for articulating emotional truths within the frame of a song; they’ll work together with Mr. Hersch’s regular rhythm team of John Hébert on bass and Eric McPherson on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
(212) 255-4037, villagevanguard.com

Let Freedom Swing Concert
“Jazz grew out of the African-American community in turn of the 20th century New Orleans. It is a mingling of the musical expressions of all the people who came to the United States by choice or by force — people from Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean — as well as those already living in America.

Jazz musicians brought their traditions together (with special emphasis on the blues, church spirituals and ragtime) in a new, universal language. Through the blues, jazz musicians showed that the sorrows common to us all could be overcome with optimism and humor. Through improvisation they celebrated newfound expressive freedom. And through the joyous rhythms of swing, they taught the many different people of New Orleans that they could work together with feeling and style.

This concert will illustrate the ideals of American democracy, the struggle for freedom, and the beauty of self-expression through the lens of America’s greatest and most democratic art form – jazz.”
Lincoln Center, David Rubenstein Atrium
Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets
At 7:30PM / FREE
This is a popular series, better get there early for a seat.
1-212-875-5377

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

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

“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, cocktail lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

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

There are other casual dining options in this neighborhood that provide good food, especially as alternatives to overpriced hotel breakfasts, and most importantly, have free Wi-FI:

>Pret a Manger @ 11 W 42nd st (Betw 5th/6th)
Subway: #1/2/3 to 42nd st / times square

>Potbelly @ 30 Rockefeller Plaza (Betw 49/48 st)
Subway: #1 to 50th st

>Pret a Manger @ 1200 6th ave (Betw 47/48)
Subway: #1 to 50th st

For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and extended descriptions of 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide”

Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2013

Conversation with Colum McCann
“Mr. McCann, author of “Transatlantic: A Novel,” which was released by Random House last month, will talk about it with Jessica Soffer, author of “Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots,” published last April by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Ms. Soffer also happens to be a former writing student of Mr. McCann’s. The conversation, at 12:30 p.m., is part of the Word for Word series, featuring talks and readings.” (NYT)
Bryant Park, Avenue of the Americas, at 40th Street
At 12:30PM / FREE
(212) 768-4242 / bryantpark.org

Dafnis Prieto Sextet / Yosvany Terry Quintet
“Cuban born drum virtuoso Dafnis Prieto is joining the Mad. Sq. stage with his accomplished sextet including Ralph Alessi (trumpet), John Beaty (alto/soprano saxophones), Manuel Valera (piano), Peter Apfelbaum (tenor and soprano saxophone) and Johannes Weidenmueller (bass). The Wall Street Journal says, “[Prieto] has transformed Afro-Cuban rhythms … These pieces are emotionally charged and stylistically diverse, carried along not just by rhythm but also through lovely harmonized passages, horn fanfares, and powerfully conjured moods.”

Cuban saxophonist, Yosvany Terry has absorbed and incorporated American jazz traditions with his own Afro-Cuban roots to produce compositions and solo work that flow from the rhythmic and hard driving avant-garde to sweet sounding lyricism.  Time Out New York says, “like James Carter, Cuban saxophonist Yosvany Terry has a voice on several axes, but alto is his specialty. He’s capable of making Afro-Cuban jazz seem folksy and modernistic all at once.”
Bring a blanket for lawn seating; no chairs are allowed.
Madison Square Park, 23rd St (btw 5th/Mad Ave)
At 6pm / FREE
212-538-1884 / madisonsquarepark.org

Red Hot & Fela Live!*
“The Afrobeat crossover pioneer Fela Kuti is honored with an evening of farsighted grooves and unlikely collaborations. Tony Allen, the drummer and musical director of Mr. Kuti’s ensemble Africa 70, unites with the broadly orchestral pop-rockers Superhuman Happiness. Other performers include Abena Koomson, Kronos Quartet, Sahr Ngaujah and more; the Superhuman Happiness members Luke O’Malley and Stuart Bogie open the evening with a performance of their score for the documentary “How to Survive a Plague.” Part of the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival.” (Anderson-NYT)
Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center
At 7:30 p.m. / FREE
546-2656/ lcoutofdoors.org

The Masters Quartet: Steve Kuhn, Dave Liebman, Buster Williams, Billy Hart* (through July 27)
“The members of this all-star band share some history: the pianist Steve Kuhn, the saxophonist Dave Liebman, the bassist Buster Williams and the drummer Billy Hart have all crossed paths in various contexts over the years.  And they come by their lofty moniker with some valid credentials: Mr. Liebman was honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master a couple of years ago, and if there’s any justice, the others shouldn’t be far behind him.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
At 8:30 and 11 p.m., $30 and $40 cover, with a $10 minimum
(212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com

George Burton Quartet
“George Burton, a charismatic young pianist from Philadelphia, isn’t as well known as he should be, though he has carved out a strong niche as a sideman in both modern jazz and R&B. He brings his own direction to this combo, with the tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield, the bassist Luques Curtis and the drummer Wayne Smith Jr.” (Chinen-NYT)
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, at 106th Street,
At 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m., no cover, with dinner sets at 7 and 9 p.m. and $20 minimum at 10:30 p.m.
(212) 864-6662, smokejazz.com

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check 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.

Here are a few Special Exhibitions in Chelsea Galleries that you shouldn’t miss:

“Paul McCarthy and Damon McCarthy: Rebel Dabble Babble” (through July 26)
Paul McCarthy has a large scale exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory, decidedly not on the WestSide. “At Hauser & Wirth, a second extravaganza by the artist, working in collaboration with his son Damon, is in the same politically incorrect, punch-drunk vein on a slightly less epic scale. Here the reference point is the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause.” (Cotter-NYT)
Hauser & Wirth, 511 West 18th Street, Chelsea,
Mon – Fri, 10am-6pm / FREE
(212) 790-3900 / hauserwirth.com

Laddie John Dill: ‘Elementary’ (through July 26)
At the end of the 1960s the West Coast Light and Space artist Laddie John Dill began producing electric light works out of blown glass tubes in a lush palette of jewel-bright colors. Here nine of these works, all from 1971, are installed in one room at regular intervals creating a trippy visual chamber music. Elsewhere, glowing constructions of glass panes in geometric arrangements could be models for updates of Stonehenge, monuments for a new cosmic paganism.” (Johnson-NYT)
Nyehaus, 358 West 20th St.
Tue-Sat, 11am-6pm / FREE
366-4493 / nyehaus.com

Lucien Samaha, “The Flight Attendant Years: 1978–1986” (through Aug 2)
A native of Lebanon who now calls New York home, Lucien Samaha is a photographer born with jet fuel and salty snacks in his veins: His father was a flight attendant, and the artist became one himself on his 20th birthday, in 1978.

Over the ensuing decade, he documented his life serving countless passengers aboard TWA, in both color and black-and-white images. Picturing himself and his former coworkers on duty and off, Samaha offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrayal of the jet age as a series of family snapshots, capturing a close-knit tribe of global nomads with few ties to the ground.” (TONY mag)
Lombard Freid Projects
518 W 19th St, between Tenth and Eleventh Ave.
Tue–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 11am–6pm / FREE
212-967-8040 / lombard-freid.com

“Reinventing Abstraction” (through Aug 31)
Curated by poet and critic Raphael Rubinstein, this show looks at a group of painters who, to varying degrees, undertook an individualistic, even eccentric, approach to abstraction during the 1980s, when the attention of the art world was otherwise focused on Neo-Expressionism, Neo-Geo and appropriation art. Carroll Dunham, Mary Heilmann, Bill Jensen, Elizabeth Murray, Joan Snyder and Terry Winters are some of the artists with works on view.
Cheim & Read, 547 W 25th St, btw Tenth and Eleventh Aves
Tue–Sat 10am–6pm / FREE
212-242-7727 / cheimread.com
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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: Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com)

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (07/22) and (07/20).

Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, July 23, 2013

Tulipa Ruiz
Brazilian gal singer Tulipa Ruiz coos lilting, gently groovy songs at the Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival, a free, postwork fete. In association with Brasil Summerfest.
City Winery, 155 Varick St., at Vandam St.
At 5:30PM / FREE
212-608-0555 / citywinery.com/newyork/

Martha Redbone Roots Project, 
a Blend of Soul, Folk and Native American Sounds
Martha Redbone’s music flows equally from her distinctive blend of Native American elements coupled with soul-funk and the Appalachian folk and Piedmont blues she was raised on. Her deep roots trace her sound to a rich sojourn from Clinch Mountain, Virginia to Harlan County, Kentucky and beyond to Brooklyn’s Dodge City-esque mean streets.

Proudly retracing the path of her uniquely American mixed heritage back to its earliest source, she is merely taking the inevitable next step of a maverick artist who has never been chained by borders.
Brookfield Place (formerly World Financial Center), 220 Vesey St.
At 5:30PM / FREE
1-212-417-7000

Claudia Acuña (Tuesday and Wednesday)
“Claudia Acuña is a vocalist attracted to lyrical high drama and guided by the pulse of her native Chile. She never fails to assemble strong accompanists, and in this group two of them are the guitarist Juancho Herrera and the pianist Jon Cowherd.” (Nate Chinen-NYT)
Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th Street and Broadway
At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m./ $35 cover, with a $10 minimum
212-258-9595 / jalc.org

Martha Graham Dance Company / 
Special Guest: Dancin’ Downtown at The Joyce Contest Winner
The troupe performs Chronicle, Acts of Light and Lamentation Variations for City Parks’ SummerStage. The evening also features a guest appearance by this year’s Dancin’ Downtown at the Joyce contest winner.

“The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a leader in the development of contemporary dance, and is recognized for its model audience engagement activities. The company has received international acclaim from audiences in over 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and has performed at most of the major venues of the world. In addition, the Company has produced several award-winning films broadcast on PBS.”
SummerStage Mainstage
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, enter at Fifth Ave and 72nd St.
At 8PM / FREE
212-360-2777 / summerstage.org
Cityparksfoundation.org

Etienne Charles and Creole Soul*
Mr. Charles, an irrepressible trumpeter and percussionist, explores the affinities between jazz, the music of his calling, and calypso, the music of his culture. (He was born and raised in Trinidad.) As on his excellent new album, “Creole Soul” (Culture Shock), he leads a dynamic unit that includes Jacques Schwarz-Bart on tenor saxophone, Alex Wintz on guitar, Ben Williams on bass, and Daniel Sadownick and D’Achee on percussion; rounding out the ensemble are the pianist Taylor Eigsti and the drummer John Davis.” (Chinen-NYT)
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, near Thompson St.
At 10:30 p.m./ $15
(212) 505-3474 / lepoissonrouge.com

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating places – West Village

Corner Bistro   /   331 W. 4th St. at Jane St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town. In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town. The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro will be celebrating it’s 50th anniversary next year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older. Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by. Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening,  in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones. For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you  can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun). ========================================================== Website:  cornerbistrony.com Phone #:  212-242-9502 Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun Happy Hour:  NO Music:  Juke Box Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform) Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St. Update:

“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, cocktail lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge. ================================================================================

Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – MONDAY, July 22, 2013

TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE
“TROMBONE SHORTY, a.k.a. Troy Andrews, grew up in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans (and he’s appeared on the HBO series of the same name), and he favors a high-energy funk that brings the traditional music of his home town well into the twenty-first century. With the grooving sounds of SOULIVE.” (NewYorker Mag)
SUMMERSTAGE, Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, mid-Park at 69th St.
At 6PM / $40
212-360-2777 / www.summerstage.org

JOSÉ FELICIANO 
“Which version of “Light My Fire” would you rather hear these days, the Doors’ or Feliciano’s? The phenomenally talented singer and guitar player is sure to pull that jam out here.” (NewYorker Mag)
IRIDIUM, 1650 Broadway, at 51st St.
At 8 and 10 PM / $30
212-582-2121 / theiridium.com/

Pilobolus (through Aug. 4)
“Any evening with Pilobolus is like a magic show, with bodies balancing and contorting in seemingly impossible ways. In “esc,” a New York premiere in the first of two programs at the Joyce, the troupe joins forces with Penn & Teller, combining its own corporeal stunts with the duo’s Houdini-inspired exploits. Program B features another new work, “Licks,” in which the frequent Pilobolus collaborator Trish Sie envisions a zany world for 6 dancers, 12 ropes and a rollicking soundtrack by Tijuana’s Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich & Fussible.” (Burke-NYT)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th Street, Chelsea,
at 7:30 p.m. / $10 to $75.
(212) 242-0800 / joyce.org

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Broadway impresario Jim Caruso hosts a combination open-mic, networking event and party, where on some nights you may hear the biggest stars on Broadway relax on their night off by performing their favorite songs in an informal setting. Always fun.
Birdland – 315 West 44th St (Btw 8th/9th ave)
9:30 pm / $20 (includes a drink if you sit at the bar, which are not bad seats)
(212) 581-3080 / birdlandjazz.com

Fun. and Tegan and Sara* (Monday and Tuesday)
“Fun.’s ubiquitous “We Are Young” is serious business: one of last year’s top-selling singles and a Grammy winner for song of the year. This New York power-pop trio’s second studio album, “Some Nights” (Fueled by Ramen), on which that track appears, wraps emo-rock squirming in Queen’s theatricality. The band will appear here with the inventive twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin, who cast aside their usual stylishly produced folk-rock gravity on their recent electro-pop album, “Heartthrob” (Sire).” (Anderson-NYT)
Pier 26 at Hudson River Park, enter at North Moore and West St.
At 7 p.m. / SOLD OUT (try the secondary market for this one)
bowerypresents.com

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

‘Subliming Vessel: The Drawings of Matthew Barney’ (through Sept. 2)
Morgan Library & Museum: 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th St.
(212) 685-0008 / themorgan.org.

‘At War With the Obvious: Photographs by William Eggleston’ (through July 28) 
‘Punk: Chaos to Couture’ (through Aug. 14)
“African Art, New York, and the Avant-Garde” (through Sept. 2)
‘The Civil War and American Art’ (through Sept. 2)
‘Photography and the American Civil War’ (through Sept. 2)
‘The Roof Garden Commission: Imran Qureshi’ (through Nov. 3)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1000 5th Ave, at 82nd St.
(212) 535-7710 / metmuseum.org

“New Harmony: Abstraction Between the Wars, 1919-1939” (through Sept. 8)
“Aten Reign” (through Sept. 25)
the centerpiece of James Turrell’s first exhibition in a New York museum since 1980, recasts the Guggenheim rotunda as an enormous volume filled with shifting artificial and natural light. {see review below}
Guggenheim Museum: 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th St.
(212) 423-3500 / guggenheim.org.

Light and color wash the Rotunda. 
“Turrell works in a single medium: light. He has sliced into walls, designed seamless rooms with holes in the ceiling, and spent four decades building a giant naked-eye observatory in the Arizona desert—all to provide unexpectedly intimate and mysterious views of the sky, the sun, and the stars. For this segment of a three-part show running concurrently in L.A. and Houston, he’s turned the museum’s atrium into a giant light box. —J.D.” (NYMag)

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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
• 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.
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 07/20 and 07/18.

Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, July 21, 2013

The Pine Leaf Boys   /   TODAY’S TOP PICK
Come out to see the Pine Leaf Boys at Connolly’s, which is the most famous Cajun/Zydeco venue in New York City. The four-time Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys have just come out with a new album, Danser. These Rajin’ Cajuns have Wilson Savoy on accordion, keyboards, fiddle and vocals, Courtney Granger on fiddle and vocals, Jon Bertrand on guitars, Drew Simon on drums and vocals and Thomas David on bass.

Wilson Savoy says about “Danser”: “It’s Cajun music, but hard to describe, with a lot of accordion, and blues and country and soul influences. The best way to describe it is just ‘Pine Leaf Boys.”

Connolly’s, a dance hall with good sound, welcomes all who enjoy live Louisiana music, and offers a  complimentary dance workshop  prior to the music for those interested in learning the basic dance steps. You do not need a partner to participate.
Connolly’s, 121 West 45th Street (btw 6th/ bway) – 3rd Fl
at 7:30 pm / $22; dance lesson at 6:15
212-597-5126 / connollyspubandrestaurant.com

Sound It Out 1st Anniversary Hot House Festival *
“For the last year, the Sound It Out concert series, founded by the music journalist Bradley Bambarger, has been a beacon of adventurous programming in Greenwich Village.

To celebrate its first anniversary, the series is presenting a four-night festival, running through this weekend. Sunday highlights include a piano duo with Craig Taborn and Gust Burns (at 7:30 p.m.); and the Rez Abbasi Trio, led by its namesake guitarist (at 8:30 p.m.)” (Chinen-NYT)
Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street, West Village,
At 7:30 and 8:30 p.m./ $20 per night.
(212) 242-4770/greenwichhouse.org

Seu Jorge
“Seu Jorge was once a certified “groovie” in his native favela, rising from abject poverty to help spearhead a ’90s revival of Brazilian R&B. The have-guitar-will-travel phase of his career took off when he strummed David Bowie covers in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Tonight he plays with his latest combo, Almaz, as part of the citywide Brasil Summerfest celebration.” (TONY mag)
Blue Note, 131 W 3rd St. at Sixth Ave
At 8 and 10:30PM / $45 at bar
212-475-8592 / bluenote.net/newyork

Manuel Valera and the New Cuban Express
“Cuban-bred keyboard virtuoso Manuel Valera heats up Iridium with a superb band: saxophonist Joel Frahm, guitarist Tom Guarna, bassist John Benitez, drummer Ludwig Alfonso and percussionist Mauricio Herrera.” (TONY mag)
Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway at 51st St
At 8 and 10PM / $25
212-582-2121 / iridiumjazzclub.com

The Bad Plus*
“Few groups in the greater jazz orbit sound more doggedly intrepid than the Bad Plus, which flirted with electronic textures on “Made Possible” (eOne), released last fall. The band — Reid Anderson on bass, Ethan Iverson on piano, David King on drums — has recently collaborated with sympathetic interlopers, notably the guitarist Bill Frisell. But this run, taking place on familiar footing, will simply feature the trio in all its lean, concussive glory.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m./ $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
(212) 255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating places – 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, cocktail lounges,  tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

xx

xx

xx

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Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS @ 3 Museums (WestSide & the BklynMuseum) 

‘Claes Oldenburg: The Street and the Store’ and ‘Claes Oldenburg: Mouse Museum, Ray Gun Wing’ (through Aug. 5)
‘Performing Histories (1)’ (through Aug. 5)
‘Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light’ (through Aug. 12)
‘Ellsworth Kelly: Chatham Series’ (through Sept. 8)
Museum of Modern Art: 11 W 53rd St,
(212) 708-9400 / moma.org.
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‘Against the Grain: Wood in Contemporary Art, Craft and Design’* (through Sept. 15)
Museum of Arts and Design: 2 Columbus Circle,
299-7777, madmuseum.org.
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‘John Singer Sargent Watercolors’  (through July 28) [see review below]
‘Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui’ (through Aug. 4)
‘LaToya Ruby Frazier: A Haunted Capital’ (through Aug. 11)
Brooklyn Museum: 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park,
(easy ride from midtown on #2 or #3 subway to Eastern Pkway/Bklyn Museum)
(718) 638-5000 / brooklynmuseum.org

John Singer Sargent Watercolors
“The exhibition brings together 93 of his watercolors and 9 oil paintings from the Brooklyn Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Both institutions acquired significant quantities of his work early on, the Brooklyn Museum from Sargent’s career debut show in New York in 1909 and the Boston museum from a solo show there in 1912. The beauty of Sargent’s watercolors is in how seemingly effortlessly yet exactly he captured outdoor light and complicated man-made and natural forms. In landscapes, close studies of fruit and flowers and portraits of women you see at once the supremely deft action of the brush and the illusions of a sun-drenched halcyon world that it conjures. Prepare for bedazzlement.” (KEN JOHNSON-NYT)
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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar: “NYCity Events: Manhattan’s WestSide” dated 07/18 and 07/16.

Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – FRIDAY, July 19, 2013

Metropolitan Opera free summer recital series
An enchanting evening of favorite opera arias and duets featuring rising Metropolitan Opera stars Erin Morley (soprano), Isabel Leonard (mezzo-soprano), and Stephen Costello (tenor), accompanied by pianist Bradley Moore.
Brooklyn Bridge Park – entrance at Old Fulton St. & Furman St.
At 7:00PM / FREE
1-212-360-2777

Summer Night at the Frick
’Tis the season for alfresco drinking, so head to the Frick Collection’s garden court, where you can listen to live music while you imbibe. The free evening also includes 15-minute curator talks about “Precision and Splendor: Clocks and Watches at the Frick Collection,” the special exhibit currently on view. If the work inspires you, make use of gratis sketching materials and art instruction.
The Frick Collection, 1 E 70th St, btw Fifth and Madison Aves
At 6PM / $18, seniors $15
212-288-0700 / frick.org

The Bad Plus* (Friday through Sunday)
“Few groups in the greater jazz orbit sound more doggedly intrepid than the Bad Plus, which flirted with electronic textures on “Made Possible” (eOne), released last fall. The band — Reid Anderson on bass, Ethan Iverson on piano, David King on drums — has recently collaborated with sympathetic interlopers, notably the guitarist Bill Frisell. But this run, taking place on familiar footing, will simply feature the trio in all its lean, concussive glory.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, at 11th Street
At 8:30 and 10:30 p.m./ $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
(212) 255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

Sound It Out 1st Anniversary Hot House Festival* (Friday through Sunday)
For the last year, the Sound It Out concert series, founded by the music journalist Bradley Bambarger, has been a beacon of adventurous programming in Greenwich Village. To celebrate its first anniversary, the series is presenting a four-night festival, running through this weekend.

Highlights include a trio with the guitarist Jonathan Goldberger, the bassist Michael Formanek and the drummer Devin Gray (Friday at 7:45 p.m.); Endangered Blood, a band that includes Mr. Formanek and the multireedists Chris Speed and Oscar Noriega (Friday at 8:45 p.m.); Surface to Air, a chamber-like trio that features Mr. Goldberger (Saturday at 8:45 p.m.); a piano duo with Craig Taborn and Gust Burns (Sunday at 7:30 p.m.); and the Rez Abbasi Trio, led by its namesake guitarist (Sunday at 8:30 p.m.).” (Chinen-NYT)
Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street, W Village
At 7:45PM / $20 for each night.
(212) 242-4770 / greenwichhouse.org

Lucy Wainwright Roche
Lucy Wainwright Roche is a well-pedigreed singer-songwriter: She’s the child of Loudon Wainwright III and Suzzy Roche (of the Roches). She has a sweet voice that’s less striking than that of brother Rufus—but she may find fans via her wistful, acoustic folk-pop.
The Duplex, 61 Christopher St. at Seventh Ave South
At 9:30PM / Cover: $5–$25 plus two-drink minimum
212-255-5438 / theduplex.com

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Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – 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 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 W. Side Hwy., all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very early or 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

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, cocktail lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.
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Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, July 18, 2013

Broadway in Bryant Park  (Thursdays through Aug. 15)
A series of music from Broadway and Off Broadway shows performed by the shows’ cast members. Today’s performances includes excerpts from “Chicago,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Sistas: The Musical.” Presented by 106.7 Lite FM, the series also features a guest D.J. from the radio station as well as cast members from other shows – this Thursday the D.J. is Delilah, and the show is “Old Jews Telling Jokes.
Bryant Park, Avenue of the Americas, at 40th St.
At 12:30 p.m. / FREE
(212) 768-4242 / bryantpark.org.

‘The Woolworth Building @ 100’ (through Sept 8, 2013)
An exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of this Cass Gilbert-designed building — when completed in 1913 it was considered the tallest office building in the world — features blueprints, photographs, contracts and other items.

“Eighty thousand incandescent bulbs illuminated the New York night on April 24, 1913, when the Woolworth Building opened with a ceremony attended by 800 dignitaries. Witnessed by multitudes and wired to press around the world, …

The great Gothic tower-the Cathedral of Commerce-became the preeminent silhouette on the New York skyline and took the title of world’s tallest office building.”
Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place, Lower Manhattan
The exhibition can be viewed Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
$5, $2.50 for students and 65+
(212) 968-1961 / skyscraper.org

River & Blues with the Grammy-Winning John Hammond Band
Enjoy sunsets and live blues along the Hudson River.
John Hammond Band – Grammy award winner and Blues Hall of Fame musician John Hammond, and his powerful band, play traditional Delta Blues with passion and force.
At 7:00PM / FREE
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park – Battery Park City (access: Battery Place)
1-212-267-9700

Sound It Out 1st Anniversary Hot House Festival *(through July 21)
“For the last year, the Sound It Out concert series, founded by the music journalist Bradley Bambarger, has been a beacon of adventurous programming in Greenwich Village.

To celebrate its first anniversary, the series will run four consecutive nights, beginning on Thursday with three brief performances: a duo by the drummer David King and the saxophonist Chris Speed (at 7 p.m.); another duo, with the pianist Russ Lossing and the bassist John Hébert (at 8 p.m.); and a set by Futuredrone, led by the drummer Joe Hertenstein and featuring the violist Mat Maneri, the pianist Anthony Coleman and the bassist Ken Filiano (at 9 p.m.)” (Chinen-NYT)
Greenwich House Music School, 46 Barrow Street, West Village,
At 8 p.m./ $20 per night.
(212) 242-4770/greenwichhouse.org

Billy Childs Quartet (through July 20)
An extravagantly polished pianist out of Los Angeles, lately consumed with hybridizing jazz and classical chamber music, Billy Childs surrounds himself with adaptable talent: the alto and soprano saxophonist Steve Wilson, the bassist Scott Colley and the drummer Johnathan Blake.” (Chinen-NYT)
Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton,
At 8:30 and 11 p.m./$30 and $40, with a $10 minimum.
(212) 581-3080/birdlandjazz.com

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Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm dates and check 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.

Here are a few Special Exhibitions in Chelsea Galleries that you shouldn’t miss:

“Paul McCarthy and Damon McCarthy: Rebel Dabble Babble” (through July 26)
Paul McCarthy has a large scale exhibition at the Park Avenue Armory, decidedly not on the WestSide. “At Hauser & Wirth, a second extravaganza by the artist, working in collaboration with his son Damon, is in the same politically incorrect, punch-drunk vein on a slightly less epic scale. Here the reference point is the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause.” (Cotter-NYT)
Hauser & Wirth, 511 West 18th Street, Chelsea,
Mon – Fri, 10am-6pm / FREE
(212) 790-3900 / hauserwirth.com

Laddie John Dill: ‘Elementary’ (through July 26)
At the end of the 1960s the West Coast Light and Space artist Laddie John Dill began producing electric light works out of blown glass tubes in a lush palette of jewel-bright colors. Here nine of these works, all from 1971, are installed in one room at regular intervals creating a trippy visual chamber music. Elsewhere, glowing constructions of glass panes in geometric arrangements could be models for updates of Stonehenge, monuments for a new cosmic paganism.” (Johnson-NYT)
Nyehaus, 358 West 20th St.
Tue-Sat, 11am-6pm / FREE
366-4493 / nyehaus.com

“Under My Skin: Nudes in Contemporary Photography” (Until Sat Jul 27)
Skin, and lots of it, is indeed the focus of this group exhibition, curated by Mona Kuhn, a photographer whose own work often involves nude models. Justine Kurland, Spencer Tunick and Collier Schorr are among the artists contributing work to the show.        (TONY mag)
Flowers, 520 W 20th St., (btw 10th/11th ave.)
Tue–Sat 10am–6pm / FREE
212-439-1700 / flowersgallery.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)
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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 (07/03) and (07/01).