It was the weekend of art openings in LIC this weekend; probably something to do with the lovely spring weather on Sunday.

Fisher Landau hosted the Columbia University MFA students for their graduation year show. Some great stuff -- and a nice party. Normally a sleepy place where you can check out masterpieces of post 1950 American art all by your lonesome.

Also, at Socrates Sculpture Park, the big new show was on display (including Jon Allen's excellent recycled billboard billboard):

Posted by Amol at 10:29 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

Here is a peek at the YMCA pool on Queens Blvd. It's just 5 minutes walk from Court Square. Inside -- all kinds of kidtastic and gymnastic fun. Plus, across the street is the "City View" sports center where they have tennis etc etc. Play any evening! Details on their exclusive digs in the old Swingline Stapler building.

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Keep an eye out for the film crews around these parts.

Posted by Amol at 03:27 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

The Observer on a new dance club coming to the Queensboro bridge plaza area. I always wondered what that supercool EXILE sign was just north of the QBB, near the Queensbridge projects.

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You may go to Chinatown to buy knockoffs, but apparently they flow from China through LIC, and only then down to Canal Street.

Apparently $25 million of Nike, Timberland, and other counterfeits were seized this week, sez the NYT.

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Details at Socrates

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Noguchi Musuem, the monument to the world famous Japanese/LIC artist Isamu Noguchi, is apparently sinking. Not to worry; they're going to save it.

But while you are there, check out Socrates Sculpture Park. They are both just one block from Costco.

Posted by Amol at 02:36 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

Check out the rest of his "7 train tour"

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Every summer, PS1 has Warm Up, and that is an annual New York City ritual if there ever was one.

But ritualism is building. You remember Bjork and Matthew Barney's wild performance last year.

This year, expect more from Deitch Studio, which has a space on 44th Drive near the Barney/Bjork boat-dock/compound. They recently previewed Bjork's new music video, so clearly proximity and confederacy are correlated.

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Play racquet sports. Thrillist reports on CityView Racquet Club

43-34 32nd Place, Long Island City; 718.698.3664

Mention Thrillist through March 31st and receive 10% off the initiation fee freebies. Check out the membership info and the bar menu. CityViewRaquet.com

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Shameless, yes, but now that I have your attention (the bands are probably pissed that I did that, and hype = super gross, but sometimes works), I am happy to announce that while (The) Arcade Fire is NOT playing Queens this weekend, if you like sprawling-ass anthemic bands along those lines as much as I do (albeit rather different takes on such an arrangement), you're in luck. RAVENS AND CHIMES come uptown and across the river for a special "acoustic" show, their big send-off before heading down to South by Southwest. Their album Reichenbach Falls is one of the best NYC records I've stumbled upon recently, and their live performances are a knockout. MY OTHER FRIEND and THE LOOM, both heavyweights in their own right, open up the night. Trust me, the room will be packed both on-stage and -off. Highs in the 50s. Accordions and strings likely. Wear awesome scarves and colorful galoshes. The future's so bright you gotta wear shades.

On another note, (ahem) TITS & SPANDEX spins "smash hits" downstairs until the wee hours. Danceparty? It's happened before.

Be there, or be lame.

Saturday night: drum & bass DJs at the Creek and the Cave, bluegrass at Dominie's Hoek. You'll probably pick one, or the other.

Queens is the new awesome / needs a new publicist,
BZ

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


***Friday, March 7***

RAVENS AND CHIMES (Manhattan, NY)
http://www.myspace.com/ravensandchimes
"Justifiably, Ravens & Chimes' sound is frequently associated with the Arcade Fire, but the band finds their element somewhere in between Leonard Cohen and Vampire Weekend." -SPIN

MY OTHER FRIEND (Brooklyn, NY)
http://www.myspace.com/myotherfriend
"There is a wonderfully hypnotic quality to this music - recommended for fans of Arcade Fire and The Decemberists" -THE DELI MAGAZINE

THE LOOM (Brooklyn, NY)
http://www.myspace.com/theloommusic
"The Loom aren't that old fashioned, but with banjos, accordions, and considerable melodrama—their word, not mine—the Brooklyn band harks back to the early days, when big beards and plaid shirts symbolized austere living, not outer-borough bohemianism."* - THE DELI MAGAZINE

* (2 out of 3 ain't bad)

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

DJs TITS & SPANDEX (Brooklyn, NY) spin "smash hits, soul classics, and secret jams" downstairs!

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

***Saturday, March 8***

DRIVEN AM showcase
http://www.myspace.com/drivenam
Drum & bass DJs RANDOM MOVEMENT, FOCUS, & MIXMASTER DOC

$10

ALL AGES upstairs in the theater and restaurant
21+ downstairs in the bar/lounge

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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


***Saturday, March 8***

ALL NIGHT COOKIN' (Queens, NY)
Bluegrass!

Music starts at 9 PM
FREE

DOMINIE'S HOEK
http://www.myspace.com/dominieshoek
48-17 Vernon Boulevard
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS IN L.I.C. (plan ahead!)

+03/14: Locket, Nina & Her Band, Somer @ The Creek and the Cave 9pm $5
...there are shows in late March... but I'll be out of town and don't know what they are yet...
+04/04: Real Live Tigers, Lightning Paw @ The Creek and the Cave 9pm $5 w/ DJ Fred Thomas
+04/11: The Bridesmaids, City Center, Kyle Tigges @ The Creek and the Cave 9pm $5
+04/18: Virgil Shepard Walters @ The Creek and the Cave 9 pm $5
+04/25: NYC Popfest benefit show @ The Creek and the Cave
+05/16: Laura's graduation show / bands TBA @ The Creek and the Cave
+06/06: Whoa Bro Awesome @ The Creek and the Cave 9pm $5
+06/20: Lord of the Yum-Yum @ The Creek and the Cave 9pm $5

http://www.LICpop.com

Posted by Amol at 05:35 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

A sort of personal outreach from Ken Consumer at the Firehouse

---

I thought I should let you know personally about the party this weekend.

Best,
Ken

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History Night returns This Thursday March 6 at 6:30pm for a special 1 hour presentation by (Q & A afterwards) by Richard Melnick Co-author of Postcards of Long Island City

Postcards were the email of 100 years ago. Richard Melnick, president of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, will take us on a delightful excursion of the Long Island City and Astoria of years gone by.

Richard will be on hand after the slide lecture to answer your questions and sign copies of the book.

Whether you were born here, or moved to the neighborhood, with over 200 postcard images, many rarely seen, the book is a must for any bookshelf in our community.

http://www.licweb.com/artomat/folktale/index.html

***************************************************************************
In the Gallery: Lost Landscapes: Paintings by Diana Freedman-Shea.

Diana Freedman-Shea is a realist painter concerned with mood and the effects of light. and shadow. She is exhibitor in many solo and group shows. Her work is regularly seen in solo shows at The Noho Gallery where "Here Comes the Money, There Goes the Neighborhood" and "Vistas and Views," etc. have appeared. Her paintings of animals have been exhibited at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and the Bronx Zoo and are in the collection of the International Society of Primatologists in Utrecht, The Netherlands. She has been reviewed in publications such as The Villager, Artspeak, and Studio and Gallery.

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Only a few precious weeks to catch what the NYT seemed to really like, Moliere's Don Juan at the Choc Fac. From the NYT:

‘DON JUAN’ Yehuda Duenyas plays the great seducer in this latest iteration of the 17th-century Molière play, as envisioned by the Obie Award-winning National Theater of the United States of America. It may be the way Mr. Duenyas, above, hops about and gurgles with glee after a conquest. Or maybe it’s his mildly crazed eyes, or the pale, flat expanse of his stomach, which seems to be entirely muscle free. Whatever the reason, he’s irresistible, as is the play.

“Don Juan” is the National Theater’s first crack at a classical text; this show even boasts costumes “authentically made out of real materials,” according to the endearingly absurd promotional materials. The set is laid out around the theater’s perimeter, so that the action shifts from scene to scene in time with the Don’s manic sexual overdrive. Doing his best to keep up is the poor servant, Sganarelle (the wonderful Jesse Hawley), who navigates his master through the wreckage of love affairs in various stages of implosion. Eventually, of course, the flames catch up to Don Juan, who exits with a whimper, not a bang. (Through March 1, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., 5-49 49th Avenue, Long Island City, 212-352-3101 or chocolatefactorytheater.org; $15, with free Thursday performances for Queens residents.) CLAUDIA LA ROCCO

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Some parts of NY are of the status that you advertise you are from there. Queens is sort of moving up the ranks in that department, though certainly it's not there yet.

The fact that Steve Madden shoes are designed here or that the Entourage boys are all from here is more of a directional indicator. Not the prevailing wisdom.

Noted recently: Ed Burns, director and actor (and married to Christy Turlington), is from Woodside, Queens.

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One of the most promising features of LIC is the strong family of cultural institutions to balance the heavy development going on: SculptureCenter, PS1, Noguchi and all the artists loft buildins (in particular 5 Ptz). All very interesting and you should check them out.

Here's their map and interactive little website

You can download their map (sponsored, invariably, by someone building a big development project -- in this case the good people of Hunter's Point condos) and it will be not only your giude to the arts institutions but also your map to the hood.

Posted by Amol at 01:12 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

Last Friday was a totally packed and totally awesome jangle-flute-pop show. Like 20 new people signed up for this mailing list, even. Last Saturday, not so packed, but such good songs, and such good Peter-Nevins-vs-Bushwick-muggers-chase-scene-tales as well. Spread your love a bit. Weekends are long. Kinda. Okay, or not.

Friday, K Records' Karl Blau returns again with a few friends in-tow-- he won't be living in Queens forever (I don't think) so see him while you can! The Creek and the Cave's informative website tells me it is also bartender Vin/Vince/Vinny/Vinsanity's birthday. Buy him a drink.
Er, he probably gets those anyway. Give him a big tip, then.

Saturday, talent-attractor and very fine soundman-in-a-pinch Andy Guthrie hosts a jazz night on the LICene. As an added bonus, it is also apparently Australia Day at the Creek and the Cave, which hopefully entails black-and-tans comprised of Foster's and vegemite.
As a hybrid, it'd be sweet if someone covered "Waltzing Matilda" or Men at Work on the sax. Or, stumble down the street for some free bluegrass at Dominie's Hoek. I also hear there's a sweet themed party at a semi-known communal loftspace on the northern edge of the nabe to our east. Just sayin'.op You've got tions, Queens. Oh yeah, the Silent Barn in Ridgewood is probably up to something as well. Also, anyone ever go to this bar in Astoria called Sparrow? I hear it's pretty decent. We're getting there. And not priced-out, or pet spas (yet).

See you out,
BZ

***Friday, January 25***
KARL BLAU (Queens, NY)
http://www.myspace.com/karlblau
"When he's at his best, Blau resembles a prophet scarfing honey in the desert, a John McPhee speaking in tongues, chanting in a whisper from Lord Byron's Vision of Judgment about out-of-tune angels." -PITCHFORK MEDIA

STEBMO (Seattle, WA)
http://www.myspace.com/stebmo
"Grooves, jazz, and outer explorations: It's all on the table . . . a fine fancy feast." -SEATTLE WEEKLY

PURE HORSEHAIR (Brooklyn, NY)
http://myspace.com/purehorsehairmusic
"Both songwriter and voice carry sincerity and a sense of urgency that is missing from most of what I hear today." -4F

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

***Saturday, January 26***

BRIAN SEEGER (Manhattan, NY)
http://myspace.com/brianseeger

PETER NEVINS (Queens, NY)
http://myspace.com/andyguthriemusic

SEAN NOWELL (Manhattan, NY)
http://myspace.com/seannowwell

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

***Saturday, January 26***

VINCENT CROSS (Manhattan, NY)
http://www.myspace.com/vincentcrossx

GOOD COMPANY (not Bad Company)
Can't find a website, but they probably have a song and album of the same name.

Music starts at 9 PM
FREE

DOMINIE'S HOEK
http://www.myspace.com/dominieshoek
48-17 Vernon Boulevard
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS IN THE NABE (seriously, this list will look full again next week, oy)
+02/01: The Majorleans, The Bright Lights, The Lavenders @ The Creek
and the Cave
+02/02: Born at Sea @ Dominie's Hoek
+02/08: Dave Unger @ The Creek and the Cave
+02/15: Matt Jones @ The Creek and the Cave
+04/04: Real Live Tigers, Lightning Paw @ The Creek and the Cave

http://www.LICpop.com

Posted by Amol at 12:05 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

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Well regarded painter Elizabeth Murray has a huge lovely mural in the Court Square subway. She died last year, so go pay homage.

Posted by Amol at 09:27 AM | Link | Save to | | Email this

There is a new art gallery across the street from PS1 -- it used to be housed inside the ceramics place on 21st. But now they have their own space. The first show - We are LIC - it's kind of a weird name since none of the paintings are about LIC, though perhaps the people ARE (that is, ARE LIC as opposed to ARE FROM LIC).

More about the show here. It just opened this past weekend so you gotta check it out while it's hot.

Posted by Amol at 06:18 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

Up and coming playwrights and performers are putting on a series of one act plays in LIC at the "Secret Theater" on 23rd street. Click here to check it out or even...buy tickets!

Here's their line-up:

Act Three : One Acts
Jan 16th - Feb. 2nd

* The 2008 Long Island City One Act Play Festival. Featuring 12 One Acts in 2 sets:

* Set 1:
* 'Bonfrieg' by J. Snodgrass Director: Don Nguyen
* 'Hi-Yo!' by Steve Wisniewski Director: Chris Jobin
* 'A Reason For All Things' by Judd Silverman Director: Dave Fink
* 'The Open Window' by Scott Sickles Director: Allison Smith
* 'Past Participle' by V.E. Kimberlin Director: Michelle Pace
* 'Broken Chains' by V.E. Kimberlin Director: Chris Jobin

* Set 2:
* 'Jon Katsberg' by Isaac Rathbone Director: Marc Weitz
* 'The Famous Elephant Play' by Jack Karp Director: Katie Braden
* 'Black Box' by Chuck Spoler Director: Rich Ferraioli
* 'This One Time I Was...' by EJC Calvert Director: Nathan Willis
* 'Multiple Choice' by Jack Karp Director: Marc Weitz
* 'Apropos A Night of Falling Sleet' by Scott Gerschwer Director: Rich Ferraioli

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Pop show 2nite, Acousticy show 2morrow:

***Friday, January 18***
SUREFIRE BROADCAST (Hammonton, NJ)
http://www.myspace.com/surefirebroadcast
"Mostly noisy indiepop, in the vein of, well, all of my favorite bands." -SKATTERBRAIN

THE BRIDESMAIDS (Brooklyn, NY)
http://www.myspace.com/herecomethebridesmaids
"For fans who want their well-worn favorites filtered through an unconventional modern lens, the Bridesmaids deliver both." -VENUS ZINE

SCARY MONSTER (Philadelphia, PA)
http://myspace.com/scarymonsterphilly
Jangly indiepop band featuring ex-members of Missing Piece, The Low Tones, Snow Fairies, The Parcels and That's Ms. Werewolf to You.

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

***Saturday, January 19***

THE BOY BATHING (Manhattan, NY)
http://myspace.com/theboybathing
"Think precious acoustic-sounding indie lullabies ("Cuddlecore," they say on their myspace, which sounds ominous but is kinda misleading), but so wordy that the lyrics start to avalanche in a way that's kind of sweet and romantic." -THE L MAGAZINE

PETER NEVINS (Manhattan, NY)
http://myspace.com/peternevins
My own guess is that if you taught a very impressionable 17th. century troubadour all about Syd Barrett, Donovan, Stephin Merritt, and the Lower East Side as it is today, he would most likely end up sounding something like this inimitable man.

DIBS (Brooklyn, NY)
http://myspace.com/dibson
"Jonathan Richman meets Beat Happening. Daniel Johnston punches Stephin Merritt. Anyway you compare him, Dibs is his own weirdo. "

Music starts at 9 PM
$5

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS IN THE NABE
+01/25: Karl Blau, Pure Horsehair, Stebmo @ The Creek and the Cave
+02/01: The Majorleans, The Lavenders @ The Creek and the Cave
+02/02: Born at Sea @ Dominie's Hoek
+02/08: Dave Unger @ The Creek and the Cave
+02/15: Matt Jones @ The Creek and the Cave
+04/04: Real Live Tigers, Lightning Paw @ The Creek and the Cave

http://www.LICpop.com

Posted by Amol at 10:39 AM | Link | Save to | | Email this

Continuing the video festival, here is a BrandonZ's favorite web video about LIC

Posted by Amol at 05:03 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

This very amusing Bollywood video was filmed at the 5ptz building near Court Square

Posted by Amol at 06:58 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

The Michiganders are back! Innundating LIC QNS this weekend is a horde of some of best songwriters from the Mitten State. Want your heart to break over and over while you down another beer (everyone needs that, this time of year)? These shows are the only place to be. In all sincerity, this is some powerful stuff. Some of these folks have international acclaim, some are unknown outside their home base, but pound-for-pound (and especially dollar-for-dollar) you be hard-pressed to find better bills this weekend in New York City.

***Friday, December 7***

MISTY LYN & THE BIG BEAUTIFUL (Ann Arbor, MI) http://www.myspace.com/mistylynmusic
"As lonely as getting caught in a snowstorm but comfy at the same time." -METRO TIMES

MATT JONES (Ann Arbor, MI)
http://www.myspace.com/mattspainting
"Some rare singers have the gift to captivate at first notes, this is Matt Jones' case. But this initial attraction is progressively converted into a complete addiction." -YOU CRAZY DREAMERS

CHRIS BATHGATE (Ann Arbor, MI)
http://www.myspace.com/chrisbathgate
"Such a melancholy treasure." -HARP MAGAZINE

JIM ROLL (Ann Arbor, MI)
http://www.myspace.com/jimroll
"Difficult to pigeonhole but recommended to those who like their Americana with a noir-ish tang. Four Stars." -Q Magazine (UK)

Music starts at 8 PM
$5

THE CREEK AND THE CAVE
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!
7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

***Saturday, December 8***

MISTY LYN & THE BIG BEAUTIFUL (Ann Arbor, MI) http://www.myspace.com/mistylynmusic
"As lonely as getting caught in a snowstorm but comfy at the same time." -METRO TIMES

MATT JONES (Ann Arbor, MI)
http://www.myspace.com/mattspainting
"Some rare singers have the gift to captivate at first notes, this is Matt Jones' case. But this initial attraction is progressively converted into a complete addiction." -YOU CRAZY DREAMERS

JIM ROLL (Ann Arbor, MI)
http://www.myspace.com/jimroll
"Difficult to pigeonhole but recommended to those who like their Americana with a noir-ish tang. Four Stars." -Q Magazine (UK)

CHRIS BATHGATE (Ann Arbor, MI)
http://www.myspace.com/chrisbathgate
"Such a melancholy treasure." -HARP MAGAZINE

KARL STURK (Brooklyn, NY)
http://www.myspace.com/theambitiousbrothers
Solo work by ex-Ambitious Brother.

Music starts at 8 PM
FREE

DOMINIE'S HOEK
http://www.myspace.com/dominieshoek
48-17 Vernon Blvd.
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from both Manhattan & Brooklyn!

7 to Vernon-Jackson
G to 21 St
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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

OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS IN THE NABE (plan ahead!):
+12/08: Zevious, Third Space, Knucklebean @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/14: The Antlers, Spanish Prisoners, Beat Radio @ The Creek and the
+Cave
+12/15: The Red Hook Ramblers, Square Struts, Annie Crane & Eric
Wolfson, Peaks and Valleys @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/22: Eric Sosa @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/28: Locket, Living in Polaroids, Lizz Dieleman @ The Creek and the
+Cave
+01/04: LIC-BZ-BIRTHDAY SHOW: Fred Thomas (ALBUM RELEASE SHOW!),
Creaky Boards, The Beets @ The Creek and the Cave
+01/11: Aldenbarton, Bridges and Powerlines, Molly-Jean @ The Creek and
+the Cave
+01/12: Afuche, Amo Joy, Jumping Flea Circus @ The Creek and the Cave
+01/18: The Bridesmaids @ The Creek and the Cave
+01/19: Born at Sea @ Dominie's Hoek
+01/25: Karl Blau, Stebmo @ The Creek and the Cave
+02/01: The Lavenders, Dave Unger @ The Creek and the Cave

http://www.LICpop.com

Posted by Amol at 08:53 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

If you are heading to Miami for the big art shows this weekend, you will appreciate your local SculptureCenter mavens' suggestions.

Director's Picks: Miami
There is so much to do in Miami, its easy to miss some terrific art. Here are a few things happening outside the halls of the art fairs that I am looking forward to seeing. Also, make sure to put Sunday, January 13, 2008, 4-6 pm on your calendar for the opening of Tom Burr's Addict-Love and New In Practice Projects by Forde, Drew Heitzler, Alix Lambert, Haley Mellin, Leyden Rodriguez-Casanova, Erik Smith, and Agathe Snow.

I hope to see you in Miami or at SculptureCenter soon!

Mary Ceruti
Executive Director

1. Michael Portnoy
Talus
NADA Art Fair, The Ice Palace
11400 North Miami Avenue
Thursday-Friday December 6-7 11 am to 7 pm.

If you are headed to NADA, definitely don't miss Michael Portnoy's Talus, an abstract gambling event on the lawn of the Ice Palace. Michael Portnoy, artist and performer, acts as croupier, leading players/participants through ritualistic, vertiginous gaming sessions around an ultramarine dice table. Curated by Liutauras Psibilskis and presented by Future Audience.

Talus is a preview of Ilinx Casino, which will open at SculptureCenter on May 4, 2008.

2. Jeppe Hein
Modified Social Benches A - K, 2006
Art Positions
Beachfront at Collins Park between 21st and 22nd Street
City Hall, MBCC Entrance D, Collins Avenue

Missed Jeppe Hein's Illusion at SculptureCenter? I would absolutely check out Modified Social Benches A - K. These playful sculptures stem from Hein's consideration of social space and how environments shape the veiwer's behavior.

3. INTERCLUB Miami Beach
Cinematheque
512 Espanola Way (west of Dexel Avenue)
www.interclubmiamibeach.com

INTERCLUB Miami Beach sounds great - I'll definitely be sure to stop by one night. INTERCLUB Miami Beach is comprised of classic independent art films from the 1970s, performances, and the freshest moving image art. There will be events every night, some by invitation, some for a wide audience. A mixture of now and then, the strange, the ecstatic, the fast, the slowed-down, the elevated, the self-conscious and flowing...

Artists: David Adamo, Michel Auder, Fia Backstrom, Olaf Breuning, Salvador Dali, Sylvie Fleury, Rainer Ganahl, Michal Jurewicz, Los Super Elegantes, Maripol, Jonas Mekas, Nam June Paik, Michael Portnoy, Aida Ruilova, Agathe Snow, Mai Ueda, Marianne Vitale, Ultra Violet, Andy Warhol, Vita Zaman and more!

4. Talk by sculptor Tom Otterness
December 9, 9:30 am - Noon
Breakfast in the Park
Hosted by The Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University
SW 107th Avenue & 8th Street
www.frostartmuseum.org

Join SculptureCenter Board Member Tom Otterness for Breakfast in the Park at the Frost Art Museum.

5. Performances at Art Positions Curated by Jens Hoffman
Art Positions
Beachfront at Collins Park between 21st and 22nd Street
www.artbaselmiamibeach.com

There is a series of six performances curated by Jens Hoffman (Director CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco), but the two that caught my eye that I will try not to miss are:

Marepe - Thursday, December 6, 8 pm
Roman Ondak - Friday, December 7, 5:30 pm

Marepe
This performance by Brazilian artist Marepe consists of two dancers dressed in costumes inspired by Brazilian TV game shows in which the participants compete to fill their clothes with inflated balloons. The artist redesigned the costumes in such a way that they could contain a much greater number of balloons. The dancers, whose costumes are empty, enter into a circular arena formed by the spectators. Within this arena are inflated balloons with which the performers fill their costumes. When the costumes are full they begin to burst each-others balloons with pins. This duel-dance deflates the bodies in a sonorous choreography that alludes to war and bombs. After bursting most of the balloons the performers remove their clothing and hang it on a winch that lifts them into the air leaving them on display like flags bringing the performance to a conclusion.

Roman Ondak
Slovak artist Roman Ondak will present Concealed Episode (2007), a newly conceived performance piece that looks at South Florida's particular relationship with Cuba. The work relates to the ongoing immigration of Cubans to the United States and the specific relationship of these two countries. Taking into consideration that most newly arriving Cubans land in the US after an often hard and difficult journey, Ondak will transform the stage of Art Perform into a target area for a Cuban parachutist. The parachutist will jump out of a small airplane circling the sky above South Beach. Before the touchdown of the parachutist a group of Cubans will prepare the landing area, marking the exact location of the stage with four red glowing signal torches.

Posted by Amol at 08:49 PM | Link | Save to | | Email this

Seriously, when's the last time you were at a RAWK show? Things get pretty old-school tonight; it'll feel like Detroit circa 2001 all over again. In a good way. Maybe the bar can start carrying Stroh's.

See you out,
BZ

As usual, I can use someone to take money and stamp hands at the door tonight if you want to see a free show and have some free drinks. It's not that hard.

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***Friday, November 30***

THE NUCLEARS (Brooklyn, NY) (ALBUM RELEASE SHOW!) http://myspace.com/thenuclears "Total whiskey-drinking, shit-kicking rock and roll." -MIKE WATT (The Minutemen)

THE GULF OF MICHIGAN (Brooklyn, NY)
http://myspace.com/thegulfofmichigan
Fresh new band fronted by your favorite Dominie's Hoek barkeep. Ask him about the name sometime.

QUEENS DENIM ROCKERS (Queens, NY)
http://myspace.com/queensdenimrockers
Fresh older band comprised of Dominie's Hoek regulars. The name is pretty straightforward and accurate.

9:00 PM
$5

The Creek and the Cave
http://www.thecreekandthecave.com
10-93 Jackson Ave
Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens, NYC
1 stop from Brooklyn & Manhattan!

G to 21 St
7 to Vernon-Jackson
E-V to 23 St-Ely Av
B-61, Q-67, and Q-103 Bus

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OTHER UPCOMING SHOWS IN THE NABE (plan ahead!):
+12/01: Pizon Family Reunion @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/07: Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful, Matt Jones, Chris Bathgate, Jim
Roll @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/08: Zevious, Third Space, Knucklebean @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/08: Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful, Matt Jones, Jim Roll, Chris
Bathgate, Karl Sturk @ Dominie's Hoek
+12/14: The Antlers, Spanish Prisoners, Beat Radio @ The Creek and the
+Cave
+12/15: The Red Hook Ramblers, Square Struts, Annie Crane & Eric
Wolfson, Peaks and Valleys @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/22: Eric Sosa @ The Creek and the Cave
+12/28: Locket, Living in Polaroids, Lizz Dieleman @ The Creek and the
+Cave
+01/04: LIC-BZ-BIRTHDAY SHOW: Fred Thomas (ALBUM RELEASE SHOW!),
Creaky Boards, The Beets @ The Creek and the Cave
+01/11: Aldenbarton, Bridges and Powerlines, Molly-Jean @ The Creek and
+the Cave
+01/12: Afuche, Amo Joy @ The Creek and the Cave
+01/18: The Bridesmaids @ The Creek and the Cave
+01/19: Born at Sea @ Dominie's Hoek
+01/25: Karl Blau, Stebmo @ The Creek and the Cave
+02/01: The Lavenders, Dave Unger @ The Creek and the Cave

http://www.licpop.com

Posted by Amol at 03:45 PM | Link | Save to