The Plug Awards are fast approaching...

...and it is sold out! I guess you will just have to check out the live stream on DellLounge.com on the 6th while I see it LIVE at Terminal 5.

Part 1



Part 2

Absolut Quartet

Pretty neat, huh?

This week's Urban Daddy Weekender newsletter made a very vague reference to this Absolut Quartet that is on display at 186 Orchard Street. I investigated further and found an article on CoolHunting that gave a bit more info. It is on display starting tonight until the end of April.

"Absolut Machines is Absolut's promotional initiative that explores where technology meets design in the form of two "machines." Last night we got to check out one, the Absolut Quartet, an interactive multi-instrumental robotic machine. It consists of a marimba played by rubber balls precisely shot from a robotic cannon, a series of spinning wineglasses dampened by robotic fingers and an array of percussive instruments."
-- CoolHunting.com

You can check out Absolut's microsite on the machines, but surfer's beware - the site kept crashing my browser.

Surely someone will be interested in checking this out, if not merely for curiosity's sake.

186 Orchard Street and Stanton Street
February 28th - April 30th

All Points West Fest

I think I have died and gone to a melodious heaven. All Points West Festival kicks off its first year at Liberty State Park this August. Three days of amazement and wonder, but the $260 price tag is a bit too steep. I am going to go with a One-Day Pass for $90. Friday is my personal day of choice. Check out the line-up below and be prepared to weep sweet tears of joy:

Friday, August 8th

• Radiohead !!!!
• Underworld
• The New Pornographers !!!
• Michael Franti & Spearhead
  
• The Go! Team !!

• Girl Talk !!!
• CSS
  
• Forro in the Dark
• Juana Molina
  
• Little Brother

• Andrew Bird !!!!
• Mates of State
• Duffy

The presale sold-out in 4 hours, so I am a bit nervous though I am sure it wouldn't sell out once tickets officially go on sale this Friday...would it?
*Mindy has an extremely nervous facial expression*

August 8th, 9th, and 10th at Liberty State Park in Jersey City

Elettaria in the West Village

The new West Village restaurant Elettaria may not have a good grasp on the importance of Search Engine Optimization (search for them organically on Google and you will see what I mean), but as long as they have a firm grasp on good food, I will forgive them.

Here is what Daily Candy had to say:

The first-generation Americans are doing riffs on the flavors and spices of their homelands, India (Nawab) and the Philippines (Cruz). Wild boar with cumin. Saag paneer gnocchi with cloves. Fried coconut cream with ginger mousse and tamarind sorbet.
Elettaria (Latin for “green cardamom”) was once home to 8th Wonder, a venue where Jimi Hendrix performed. It still has a clubby feeling with velvet curtains, exposed brick, and an open kitchen where the cooks are very much on stage.

Could be interesting and NYMag didn't make it sound too excessive as far as cost is concerned.

Elettaria, 33 West 8th Street, at Macdougal Street

Flight Attendants

"Flying the friendly skies, Brian Finke began photographing flight attendants as he crisscrossed the country on Delta, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Hooters Air, Southwest, and Song airlines, before going abroad on Air France, Qantas, and British Airways. In London, he visited a flight attendant school, complete with emergency rafts and billowing smoke. Continuing east, Finke traveled Air Asia, Thai, Tiger, ANA, Japan, and Cathay Pacific. For the grand finale of his two-year trip, Finke traveled the illustrious Icelandair."
- Artcal

Flight Attendants, PowerHouse Books, on display at ClampArt through March 29th, 525 W. 25th St (between 10th and West Side Highway)

John Chiara: Land's End

I will be M.I.A. from the city this weekend as I journey to the midwest for some much needed SIU-Crew time with Mark, Pat, & Amanda (and apparently Tommy boy, too) in Chi-town. BUT, upon my return, I have yet another gallery exhibit that I would like to attend.

Enter John Chiara, a San-Fran based photog who has a rather unique approach to landscape photography. According to the Von Lintel Gallery website:

Chiara takes stunning landscape photographs that involve much more than what is in front of the camera. They are, in essence, images of photography itself. Chiara operates a hand-built, room-sized camera that is mounted on a flatbed trailer. He works inside the camera, physically becoming a part of the process. During the long exposures, he dodges and burns by passing his hands in front of the camera’s lens. The one-of-a-kind, positive images are then developed utilizing an adapted sewer pipe that he fills with photo chemicals.

Sewage pipes and flatbed trailers? I gotta see this.

VON LINTEL GALLERY
555 W 25th St (bet. 10th and 11th ave)

I feel a Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up" Moment fast approaching!

Yesterday was a drunken affair with a microphone at Duet, Kyle's I-am-temporarily-back-in-Manhattan bash in Midtown. It was an amazingly fun time and Jesse and I both agree we need to do Round 2 with the Brooklyn crew. So Sunday, March 2nd it shall be. Why not waste away another Sunday afternoon in a small room with about 10 of your closest friends? Sidenote: the establishment does not take kindly to patrons that bring their own alcoholic substances. Solution: just be even sneakier about it the second time around.

Duet's Website makes me want to laugh, but then I feel like I am laughing at someone, and not with someone:

Everyone can be "Britney Spears"
and everyone can be "John Toravolta."

Aww, Duet. Please don't kick us out again.


*** *** *** RECAP *** *** ***
This was the most fun I have had in a long time. Having the chance to be a complete (drunken) goofball in the privacy of friends was just what I needed. Plus, Jesse and I's heartbreaking rendition of "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" was a show-stopper. I suspect we shall be doing this again very soon!

Matthew Rogriguez; an unexpected delight

This past Saturday, Chrissy and I went to more galleries then I can count on one hand (though I think two hands would suffice). We stuck to the exhibits we had predetermined, with the exception of one that was in the same building as Scott Schuman's. I was struck by the window display of a giant, plastic lobster with a huge ashing cigarette in it's pincher, so I decided to explore further. What I found inside won me over. Descriptions written in pencil (sometimes erased and re-written) next to the art work displayed on the walls. "Monsters" that were more endearing than scary. A Christmas tree laid out in the middle of the floor with an angry, cartoonish face at the tip, and a bloody stump at the other end. Colorfully painted 8x8 baking pans. Every piece on display made me smile and laugh, all for different reasons.

Who was behind this feel-good scene? Urban-artist-turned-multi-medium-dabbler Matthew Rodriguez; that's who. Check out more of his art here on Flickr. Even better, check out his exhibit, Scruffy Kitty, at the Rare gallery until March 8th. I hope it makes you smile/laugh, too.

Make Out like it's 1999!

The Below is from this NewYork.Going.com Post:

Live at Arlene's Grocery
95 Stanton Street (between Orchard & Ludlow)
Subway: F to 2nd Ave.

"It's slippery. It's weird. It's fun. It's Disco Crisco Twister at Arlene's Grocery. Come on down and make those Equinox yoga classes really pay off." - RareDaily.com

"My head is killing me and WHERE are my PANTS??!! Well, let's see… the last thing I remember was something about Left Foot on Blue- OH MY GOD… that's right- last night I was at Disco Crisco Twister!!!!!" - Uncoolkids.com

Come with your friends and play as a team, or just bring yourself and we'll introduce you to your new teammates.

Games include:
* Spin the Bottle: Anyone who's seen the Wonder Years knows this game makes a lifelong impression!
* Truth or Dare Jenga: Pick a Truth or Dare, but don't knock the tower over.
* Kissing Booth: Like Lucy's Lemonade stand with sweet and sour options.
* Seven Minutes in Heaven: Oh, to be in Heaven.
* Purity Test: How do you score?
* Intimate Orange Relay Race: Pass a citrus between your neck and chest to a complete stranger/new friend!

* Live Musical Chairs: Just like when you were four, but with a live band!
* Sing That Tune: Let your karaoke/musical Jeopardy freak flag fly!
* Flip Cup: Show off your dexterity & drinking skills!
* Twister (with a twist): Grapple 1/2 drunk teammates while reaching for that red dot!

With free heart shaped cookies by Missy aka Strawberry Shortcake. Check out her tasty creations at italiaRicankitchen.com

www.discocriscotwister.com

Ahhh, to be young again!

I almost forgot about Coney Island

Brooklyn Museum is holding an exhibit entitled "Goodbye Coney Island?" through April 6th.

"An exhibition of more than fifty photographs from the Brooklyn Museum’s holdings, Goodbye Coney Island? traces the evolution of this fabled part of New York over the past 125 years. Coney Island has undergone many transformations since it first became a popular resort in the nineteenth century, and in the near future a prospective redevelopment plan may yet again change this section of Brooklyn."
- BROOKLYN MUSEUM WEBSITE

Hopefully I do not forget about this exhibit.

Study Center, 5th Floor
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn

A Plethora of Photo Exhibits

Thank you, Christine, for the long list of photo exhibits!

John O'Reilly | Echo: Recurrent Themes 1965-2007
Julie Saul Gallery (535 W. 22nd St.), Closes February 16, 2008

Ken Heyman | Humanity
Sundarm Tagore Gallery (547 W. 27th St.), Closes February 23, 2008

Nicholas Nixon | Patients
Yossi Milo (525 W. 25th St.), Closes February 16, 2008

Sarah Pickering | Fire Scene
Daniel Cooney (511 W. 25th St.), Closes March 15, 2008

It shall be a busy, busy weekend!

*** *** *** RECAP *** *** ***
Saw them all; probably enjoyed Ken Heyman's the best even though it was very overwhelming with the amount of photographs on display!

Let's Get Gussied Up

I was looking for something to blog about and, lo and behold, I needed look no further than Mark Sperry's blog for just the information I desired. Of course, Mark's post is much more inspiring than this post will be, so I suggest reading his first, in order to get the appropriate emotional and attitudinal tone.

Gus Powell (a photographer I don't know) is on exhibit at the Musuem of the City of New York (a museum I have never set foot in) through March 16th (a day never to be forgotten in history).

Descriptive Phrases Concerning This Exhibit:
Color. Street Photography. NYC. Spontaneous.

Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.
Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Juergen Teller

The Lehmann Maupin gallery started an exhibit yesterday on prints by German photographer, Juergen Teller, who has gained fame through his photography for Marc Jacob ads. It is too early in the morning for me to think for myself, so I will let Daily Candy do the talking:

"Teller, who was commissioned to interpret the Ukraine for the 2007 Venice Biennale show, infuses fashion, luxury, and youth into his fantastical stills and portraits. Shots from a recent Vivienne Westwood campaign are also in the mix (along with celeb photos of Gisele, Posh Spice, and Harmony Korine)."
-- Daily Candy Newsletter

Lehmann Maupin, 540 West 26th Street (212-255-2923).

Moto, a sweet spot in Bushwick

I haven't been giving Brooklyn enough love - so here is a love note to Moto, a teeny, tiny Nuevo American cafe underneath the JM train in South Williamsburg. I have ate there a few times and have always enjoyed myself. It is small, dark, and mysterious - filled with good food, chocolatey beer, and sometimes even live music (though it is quite the feat to squeeze in the entertainers). Someone take me on a date. I'll split my mac-n-cheese with youuuu.

349 Broadway, Brooklyn NY 11211 (Corner of Hooper)

Back Forty is in my Top Forty

I have already ate at Back Forty, but I enjoyed it so much that I have been craving a return visit! They specialize in local/seasonal fare and do a good job of it. Anna and I had dinner there last year not long after its grand opening. The food left me smiling (burgers and apple-cider doughnuts - need I say more?) and their beer selection is rather impressive. They don't take reservations, but it is ten steps away from B-Side, so a PBR while waiting would help to kill the time.

190 Ave B and 12th Street

Hidden Sushi in East Village

I have an itching to find the unmarked entrance to Kyo Ya, a relatively undiscovered, but apparently de-li-cious Japanese eatery.

Even if you're looking for it, it's easy to miss. On the south side of East 7th street, look for a little wooden sign on a wrought-iron gate reading simply "Open." Head down the short flight of stairs, and you'll find a cozy underground sliver of a posh Japanese izakaya*.
-- Urban Daddy

* An izakaya (居酒屋, izakaya) is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. The food is usually more substantial than that offered in other types of drinking establishments in Japan such as bars or snack bars.

Thanks Wikipedia.


94 E. 7th St (between 1st Ave and Avenue A)

Commerce Opens Today; 20% off meals for a week!

I can't find an official website for Commerce, but from what I have read, it is opening tonight in the West Village, filling the shoes of the former Grange Hall (and before that, Blue Mill). It may be new, but apparently the appearance is a restoration of Grange Hall, complete with "intricate tile work, original murals by artist David Joel, restored booths originally made from English Chestnut and a stunning art deco Brunswick bar circa 1941."

My favorite quote comes from the Daily Candy newsletter:

"June, a nice lady who's lived upstairs for almost 50 years, says it reminds her of the old old Blue Mill."

Cheers to June. Let's go get food and drink, and then knock on her door to say hello.

50 Commerce Street, between Bedford and Barrow Streets (212-524-2301). Opening Thursday with a 20 percent discount for the first week.

26 Seats on Ave B

I am going on an Ave B binge right now, so just bear with me.

I don't particularly care for the 26 Seats' official website, but I do like the review on NYMag.com:

None of the 26 chairs match in this satisfying sliver of a restaurant near Tompkins Square Park. But that seems to suit the young, happy regulars just fine, because the owner has made quite a show of putting a hallway to good use as a restaurant. The French are famously eclectic, and this exceptional little place is no exception to the rule. Framed mirrors, tiny yellow lights, the hinged, empty panels of a wooden diptych occupy the wine-dark walls. Expect little to no elbow room, but in exchange you get an exceedingly good meal at an exceedingly good price. Service is friendly and professional. Tables are small, but the southern French food has a big personality. The chef elevates bistro food to the hilt by adding smart, zingy touches: cherry juice to offset a hearty duck breast, and a sweet corn cake and champagne vinaigrette makes an unpretentious striped bass bucolic. Wine is priced to sell.
— Natalie Danford

168 Ave B and 11th Street (hel-lo B-Side)

Max Restaurant in East Village

Max appears to be affordable, yummy, and in my favorite area to have libations. Sounds good for a cheap-eat night. Plus they have an outdoor garden area (once it is warm enough again for such things). It's cash only, so don't let me forget to make the needed ATM pit stop.

51 Ave B between 3rd and 4th St

The 2008 Show Round-Up Post

I feel like I post about shows all the time, so here is in its most current state:

Previous
January:

• Kimya Dawson, 1/16, Europa Club: Write-up by Heidi Vanderlee
  
• Quitzow, 1/27, Mercury Lounge (proud Heidi supporter)
  
• Joanna Newsom, 1/31, Brooklyn Academy of Music: Pictures
  

Upcoming
February:

• I am the Heat, 2/13, Lit Lounge (to support Mike)
• The Magnetic Fields, 2/21, Town Hall *SOLD OUT*
  

March:

• 2008 PLUG Awards (Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds/Dizzee Rascal/St. Vincent/Jose Gonzalez), 3/06, Terminal 5
• Jose Gonzalez, 3/12, Brooklyn Masonic Temple *have extra ticket*
  

April:

• Paul Simon, April, Brooklyn Academy of Music *purchasing ticket soon*
• French Kicks, April, Mercury Lounge *purchasing ticket soon*

May:

• The Black Keys, 5/15, Terminal 5

Wish List:

• Colin Meloy, 4/16-4/17, Music Hall of Williamsburg
• Feist, 4/28-4/29, Hammerstein Ballroom
• La Vita-Williams Guitar Duo, 4/28, St. Paul's Chapel
  

2008 Plug Awards

Plug Awards at Terminal 5 on March 6th. Jesse and I already plan to purchase tickets, so anyone else that is interested should do the same.

Quick rundown of what to expect:

• Nick Cave and Bad Seeds - headlining performance
• St. Vincent, Dizzee Rascal, Jose Gonzalez also performing
• Patton Oswalt - host

Can purchase tickets starting Friday here.

Colin Meloy in Williamsburg

Colin Meloy (lead singer of The Decemberists) is playing two nights in April at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (Wed. 16th and 17th to be exact).

It will be beautiful, sweet, sweet music. Looking for someone who would want to get tickets with me.

So, yeah.

Joanna Newsom, after the fact

I saw Joanna Newsom perform with the Brooklyn Philharmonic at BAM last night. It was a breathtaking performance and now I forever want to be Joanna's friend and learn to play harp so we can play harp duets (if people do such things in real life).

The reason I am writing an after-the-fact blog is to point out that there was an empty seat next to mine. In the second row! (So close, I felt I could jump up and pluck her harp strings). And my ticket was only $35. Someone could have joined me to share in the experience. Too late now. Sigh. No one will believe how great it was.