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flavorpill NYC
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November 28 - December 4, 2006 |
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 Bob London |
Cultural Stimuli in NYC
Issue 338: natural flavor
Still in the process of polishing off Thanksgiving Day leftovers, we're already besieged by holiday hype, encouraging us to pretend we have trees growing in our apartments amidst a winter wonderland (in spite of absurdly warm temperatures; perhaps Al Gore could explain that?). Thankfully, our city's cultural landscape affords ample respite from such environmental oddness, such as Ecotopia — a survey of some of the finest photographers around, taking Mother Nature as muse. There's also the more intimately scaled Natural Reaction, which finds artists offering a more antagonistic and corrupted — yet playful — spin on the Earth Mother theme. Robert Bresson's rarely seen 1966 film Au hasard Balthazar makes a quiet classic from a humble story of a donkey in rural France. Meanwhile, choral group Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares sound at once otherworldly and entirely down to earth, evoking a meditative, primal communion through voice. Yay Area hip-hop crew Zion I & the Grouch aren't hippie-rap, but their breezy beats and flow spell "natural" better than Merriam-Webster. Gobble on, and spread it.
- Jake Lancaster, Managing Editor
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flavorpill NYC is an email magazine covering a hand-picked selection of music, art, and cultural events — delivered each Tuesday afternoon.
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The FREEDM movement starts with you. FREEDM is about expressing and sharing yourself with the world. Be controversial. Make art. Make fun of art. Make history. Take over the world. Stand for something interesting. Share your unique point of view. Be unafraid to show who you are and what you care about. Be fearless. Be honest. Shock. Inspire. Entertain. And have a good time doing it. It's coming: FREEDM2.com |
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| DANCE |
Ballet Preljocaj
| when: |
Tue 11.28 - Sun 12.3 (Tue & Wed: 7:30pm / Thur-Sat: 8pm / Sun: 2 & 7:30pm) |
| where: |
The Joyce Theater (175 8th Ave, 212.242.0800) map |
| price: |
$40 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Though not a household name in the way that Ailey, Balanchine, or Bausch are, Angelin Preljocaj is no less radical and innovative. The French lion of modern dance presents two works, Noces and Empty Moves (Part II), during his stop at the Joyce. Noces, inspired by the powerful — and at times dissonant — music of Stravinsky, paints marriage as a savage, calculated exchange of goods. The more abstract piece in the program, Empty Moves (Part II) is set to a seminal sound performance by John Cage, and explores the disintegration and transference of movement. The calculus of energy is a powerful theme in Preljocaj's work, and one he treats masterfully. (JDS)
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| ALSO ON TUE |
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MUSIC: Hip-Hop
Rock the Bells Tour feat. Redman w/ Raekwon, Smif-N-Wessun, and Supernatural
Tue 11.28 (8pm) B.B. King Blues Club & Grill (237 W 42nd St, 212.997.4144) map $35 / $30 advance
Event Info
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No hyphy, no snap, nothing even new really, but tonight's heroes helped own the
East Coast in the '90s by making timeless joints, not just ringtones. Redman and fellow Def Squad member Keith Murray join Wu-Tang's Raekwon and
Redman, and the Boot Camp Clik's Smif-N-Wessun and maybe the best
freestyler ever, Supernatural. (JL)
 In what movie does Redman star as Pan-handling Nun II? The first two
correct responses each win a pair of tickets to this show.
 
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| MUSIC: Singer/Songwriter |
Jezebel Music Showcase feat. Paleo
| when: |
Wed 11.29 (7:30pm) |
| where: |
Laila Lounge (113 N 7th St, Wburg, 718.486.6791) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Venue Info |
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Wandering troubadour David Andrew Strackany (aka Paleo) has been crisscrossing the country — forsaking a home and steady job in favor of an endless tour — for more than a year. Armed with a gently cracking voice, a six-string acoustic guitar, and a never-ending repertoire of expressive folk-pop ballads, the itinerant singer/songwriter staves off creative ennui with an ambitious online "song diary" and makes ends meet by selling copies of his self-released debut, Misery, Missouri. Showcasing Strackany's vast talent, the lo-fi recording swings between howling world-weariness and manic, bat-shit happiness, recalling both the magical weirdness of Neutral Milk Hotel and the disturbed genius of Elliott Smith. (SN)
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| MUSIC: Chiptune |
The Tank and 8bitpeoples present Blip Festival
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With the PS3 release finally upon us, old videogame consoles have become a distant memory for most consumers, but a subculture of gamers has found a new use for those ancient wonders. Using their Ataris and Commodores instead of samplers, musicians make chiptunes with old-school console chips to synthesize music in real-time. The Tank, along with the maverick 8bitpeoples collective, a group of maverick chip-scenester composers and distributors, kicks off four days of low-bit tunes, how-to-hack-your-console workshops, and film screenings — including a preview of Str8nime flick We Are the Strange — for New York's first-ever chiptune fest. (IB)
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| FILM |
Fox Before the Code
| when: |
Fri 12.1 - Thur 12.21 |
| where: |
Film Forum (209 W Houston St, 212.727.8110) map |
| price: |
$10.50 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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In this too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen era of big-budget filmmaking, nothing slips
into major releases that might endanger DVD distro at Wal-Mart, let alone invite a
tawdry MPAA rating. But back in the early '30s, studios were confronted with a
different problem: how to entice Depression-poor audiences at all. The solution
resulted in wonderfully lurid cinema laden with sex, subversion, and plenty of
blood and guts. Starring the likes of Spencer Tracy, Clara Bow, Cary Grant, and
Jean Harlow, and directed by such legends as Frank Borzage and Erich von Stroheim,
this series of rarely screened early talkies establishes that pics weren't always so
whitewashed — or dull — in Hollywoodland. (LR)
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| MUSIC: Afrobeat/Hip-Hop |
Red Hot and Riot Live! The Music and Spirit of Fela Kuti feat. Amadou & Mariam w/ Dead Prez, Tony Allen, and Les Nubians
| when: |
Fri 12.1 & Sat 12.2 (7:30pm) |
| where: |
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave, Bklyn, 718.636.4100) map |
| price: |
$25-65 |
| links: |
Event Info | Red Hot |
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All roads lead to Nigeria tonight — to hail the legendary Fela Kuti — in what may be the diasporic jam session of the year. BAM's showcases tonight and tomorrow are organized by Andres Levin, the man who demonstrated his talent for Fela tributes with his 2002 Red Hot compilation. Performers this time around include Nigerian blufunk musician Keziah Jones, Afro-Cuban popsters Yerba Buena, hip-hop/R&B duo Les Nubians, the amazing Malian couple Amadou & Mariam, and anti-establishment hip-hop royalty Dead Prez. This transnational tribute serves as a World AIDS Day benefit to fight the disease that claimed the master in 1997. (DO)
Note: The documentary Fela! Fresh from Africa screens Sat 12.2 at BAM Rose Cinemas. For more related music, the Chicago Afrobeat Project, Kokolo, and Boston Afrobeat play at Northsix.
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| MUSIC: Indie Americana |
The Damnwells w/ Frank Smith
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Incorporating members of Boston bands the Lot Six, Eyes Like Knives, and the Sharking, Frank Smith aren't quite the New England indie-rock supergroup one might expect. Far from it, in fact: with up to seven members onstage at any given show, the band brings on all the elements of classic Americana, from banjo to lap steel to harmonica. As evidenced by their latest release, this year's Red on White, Frank Smith's music leans more towards lonesome-cowboy territory than barn-dance hijinks, but there's still plenty of fun lurking in the shadows — including the possibility of their stripped-down live take on the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog." Brooklyn's own pop-rock underdogs the Damnwells headline the show. (DL)
What two essentials do the Damnwells recommend for life on the road? The
second and third correct responses each win a pair of tickets to this show.
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| DJ |
Guggenheim and Flavorpill present First Fridays feat. Telefon Tel Aviv w/ Dethlab
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After a November hiatus, First Fridays returns to the Guggenheim with digital wunderkinder Telefon Tel Aviv. Powell, Ohio's Joshua Eustis and Charles Cooper orchestrate a lush score from microbeats, twinkling synths, swelling strings, and the occasional soulful vocal sample that distinguishes their halcyon electronica from glitch-happy IDM. Detroit duo Dethlab put a devilish spin on docile electro tunes with Belgian EBM, French cyberpunk, and the occasional industrial tweak for good measure. While the Midwestern maestros slave over keyboards and mixers, partygoers can tour the museum's Lucio Fontana: Venice/New York exhibition, a comprehensive presentation of the artist's textured works on canvas and sheet metals. (IB)
Note: First Fridays usually fills to capacity right after opening; early arrival is imperative.
Telefon Tel Aviv's Joshua Eustis and Charles Cooper came together over
their mutual love of what two music genres? Correct responses six through
ten each win a pair of tickets to this event.
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| FILM |
The Architect
| when: |
Opens Fri 12.1 |
| where: |
Various locations |
| price: |
$10.75 |
| links: |
The Architect |
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Leo Waters (Anthony LaPaglia), a well-to-do Chicago architect, is undergoing one doozy of a mid-life crisis. His wife (Isabella Rossellini) hates him; his son harbors a serious secret; his daughter's sexual awakening highlights the impropriety of his relationship with her; and tenants of the housing project he designed years ago are campaigning him to endorse its destruction. Director/writer Matt Tauber circumvents the clichés that often befall an ensemble film with a social conscience by swapping a cool-headed integrity for pious overearnestness. The Architect lays out the way that class entitlement and personal tragedy can explain, rather than excuse, callous self-absorption. (LR)
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| MUSIC: Hip-Hop |
Zion I & the Grouch w/ Deuce Eclipse and CX Kidtronik
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Oakland-based hip-hop duo Zion I have been known in the underground scene
since their 2000 debut. But by teaming up with Living
Legends member the Grouch for this year's Heroes in the City
of Dope, MC Zion and producer Amp Live have primed themselves for some serious
overground attention. The release finds the trio delivering everything from
hard-hitting social commentary to an excellent mash-up of the Clash, boasting guest
vocals from Esthero, Chali 2na, and Mistah F.A.B. If Zion I find that
delicate balance between message and abandon, tonight's openers are firmly
entrenched at either pole: Deuce Eclipse kick conscious-rap
retreads, while CX Kidtronik requires little exercise for
the gray matter — his raw, electro beats keep lower extremities busy. (DL)
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| ART |
Natural Reaction
| when: |
Sat 12.2 & Sun 12.3 (12-6pm) |
| where: |
Tastes Like Chicken Art Space (300 Morgan Ave, Wburg, 718.384.0456) map |
| price: |
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Event Info |
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The Minimal Elements of Narrative, a lighthearted drawing by Thomas Zummer
and the inspiration behind this exhibition, creates a storyline by implying that a
tornado featured on one half of the paper will eventually destroy the dinosaur
theme park on the other half. The work speaks to the larger theme of the show:
environmental transformation eventually returns real or perceived threats from the
natural world. Carlee Fernandez's Courtney Payne, a small taxidermied deer
with an ice-cube tray installed in its back, demonstrates that mutation for the
purpose of human convenience might reach disturbing proportions. Elsewhere, Megan Cump presents Buried, a white photograph of a skull softly nuzzled in a snow bank. (PJ)
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| FESTIVAL |
Legion of Lit Mags
| when: |
Sat 12.2 (5-10pm) |
| where: |
Galapagos Art Space (70 N 6th St, Wburg, 718.782.5188) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Event Info |
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Readers starved for suggestions between issues of Boldtype and looking for more than Oprah's latest book-club selection can pop into the second annual Legion of Lit Mags Reading and Magazine Fair. Opium Magazine, Quick Fiction, and Post Road join the six veteran pubs from last year's bash — including hosts Small Spiral Notebook and Ballyhoo Stories — to fete unsung voices in alternative print. Between readings, bibliophiles can enter raffles for theatre tickets and spa giveaways, or pick up free/cheap magazine subscriptions from KillingtheBuddha.com contributing editor Irina Reyn, Iowa Short Fiction Prize-winner Elizabeth Searle, and other Legion-published writers — all before hitting the town to namedrop your new favorite scribe over drinks. (IB)
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| ALSO ON SAT |
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DJ: Monthly
Trouble & Bass feat. Zack Shadetek w/ Drop the Lime and Star Eyes
Sat 12.2 (11pm) Boogaloo (168 Marcy Ave, Wburg, 718.599.8900) map
Event Info
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The Trouble & Bass crew got no truck with genre-haters; these hoodlums are too busy tossing out the filthiest throwdowns this side of Broadway. Get percolated with grime, crunk, nu-rave, old rave, booty bass, fist-fighters, and all-nighters. (AB)
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| MUSIC: Sunshine Pop |
Vampire Weekend w/ the Martha Dumptruck Massacre
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Music bloggers (and fans for that matter) in search of the Next Big Things would be wise to attend tonight's show. Vampire Weekend, a quartet of Columbia kids, offer up damn-near perfect pop tunes — borne of suburbia and an apparent love of Afrobeat and their parents' Paul Simon records — with an endearing sincerity we can only hope survives a rocket to stardom. But don't mistake their earnest 'tudes for naïveté; the boys write beyond their years, with pointed, often sardonic commentary soaring over ebullient keys in sing-a-long verse. The Martha Dumptruck Massacre is Joel Alter on guitar, ukulele, and organ, with a rotating cast adding percussion and strings to Alter's aching, gorgeously arranged songs. (LT)
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| ALSO ON SUN |
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MUSIC: Bulgarian Folk
Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares
Sun 12.3 (7:30pm) Symphony Space (2537 Broadway, 212.864.1414) map $35 / $30 advance
Event Info
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Performing everything from ancient Ottoman chants to contemporary classical, this all-female choral ensemble from Bulgaria elevates the world-music listening experience as we know it. The mystical harmonies, rhythmic shouts, and exotic timbres never fail to impress. (JM)
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| FILM |
Au hasard Balthazar (1966)
| when: |
Mon 12.4 (4:30 & 7pm) |
| where: |
BAM's Rose Cinema (30 Lafayette Ave, Bklyn, 718.636.4100) map |
| price: |
$10 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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The Village Voice critics have always proven themselves more invested in the
aesthetic and sociopolitical value of film than in the buzz surrounding it. To
celebrate the publication of their 50-year compendium, they are showcasing a
seldom-screened film by one of chief cinephile J. Hoberman's all-time darlings,
Robert Bresson. Au hasard Balthazar (1966), which trails a donkey and his various
owners through rural France, is less simple than extraordinarily unadulterated.
Floating on a soundtrack of Schubert and the occasional hee-haw, the meticulously
shot and edited composition balances nature's randomness with human contrivances in
an homage to innocence, grace, and the unflagging sorrow of the cycle of life. (LR)
Note: The 7pm screening is followed by a Voice-staff panel discussion.
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 Want to plan further ahead? Check out our weekly updated list of upcoming events!
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| ART |
Pamela Jorden
| when: |
Now through Sun 12.3 (Fri-Sun: 12-6pm) |
| where: |
Klaus Von Nichtssagend Gallery (438 Union Ave, Wburg, 718.383.7309) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Event Info |
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An LA painter with a New York School heart, Pamela Jorden is among those young artists making works that
are meant to be enjoyed for what they are. Traditional formal devices (composition, perspective,
chiaroscuro) are given a new life with a recklessly colorful palette. The show's biggest piece (the works
are all untitled) recalls a de Chirico landscape; a long wall of reds, blues, and
greens recedes to a vanishing point at the center of the canvas. The pockets of painterly intensity are
separated from those of subtlety, as in a smaller square canvas, which is three-quarters black on black,
with a messy series of blues, greys, and whites bleeding from the top-right corner. (HGM)
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| PHOTOGRAPHY |
Ecotopia
| when: |
Now through Sun 1.7.07 (Tue-Thur: 10am-6pm / Fri: 10am-8pm / Sat & Sun: 10am-6pm) |
| where: |
International Center of Photography (1133 6th Ave, 212.857.0000) map |
| price: |
$12 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Ecotopia, a survey of 41 artists exploring the natural world, finds a
variety of approaches among photographers working today. The opulent and stunning
landscape photography of Clifford Ross is unrivaled in picture quality, as the
artist invented his own camera using new and recycled parts. Doug Aitken employs
preexisting materials to create the environment itself — his work Plateau,
which he dubs a "meta-city," is a finely detailed metropolis constructed entirely of
Fed-Ex boxes that speaks to a subsuming, sanitized lifestyle. Providing a window
into the absurd, Mark Dion uses his institutional-looking office space, The
Bureau of Remote Wildlife Surveillance, to stalk a bunch of deer and file some
paperwork on the issue. (PJ)
Who penned the 1975 book that shares a name with this exhibition? The ninth correct response wins a two-for-one admission ticket to this event.
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| ALSO ONGOING/UPCOMING |
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THEATRE
365 Days / 365 Plays
Now through Mon 11.12.07 (schedule) Various locations Suggested donation
Event Info
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Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks set out to write a play a day for a whole year. Her efforts come to fruition with their presentation by a different theatre company each week throughout the city. (SP)
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WORLD AIDS DAY: AIDSVote.org |
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With the 2008 election around the corner, and Democrats reclaiming the majority in the
House of Representatives, voter issues are creeping back into the headlines.
AIDSVote.org is designed to remind politicians that treatment, prevention, and care
remain priorities for Americans living with HIV/AIDS and their supporters. The
Campaign to End AIDS project supplies questionnaires and literature to measure
candidates' awareness and dedication; Rally-in-A-Can kits stocked with signs in two
languages, handouts, web banners, and t-shirt and button art for raising public
visibility of AIDS issues; and voter-registration information to empower others
concerned with public officials'
accountability for the national and global AIDS epidemic. (IB)
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DVD REVIEW: My Morning Jacket, Okonokos: The Concert |
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ATO Records
Released October 2006
$19.98 (Amazon)
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My Morning Jacket played an industry-only showcase at the small Mercury Lounge a few years back and the diehard fans queued in the freezing cold for hours despite faint hopes of getting inside — ample indication that the Southern indie-rock outfit's recent major-label signing was just a harbinger of success to come. Since the acclaim of 2005's Z, MMJ have moved onto much bigger venues, better-honed performances, and increasingly devoted audiences. The Okonokos DVD captures a show at San Francisco's Fillmore, spanning 20 tracks of reverb-drenched, country-tinged, atmospheric bombast. While the Dolby 5.1 sound is great, and the visual footage (directed by Sam Erickson) makes for one of the best-shot performances in recent memory, taking full advantage of exceptional lighting and stage design. (CJN)
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STREAMS: DJ MEHDI |
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With a roster that boasts Justice, Zongamin, and SebastiAn, Parisian label Ed Banger has been killing it this year, and it has another secret weapon up its sleeve. In addition to his new album, Lucky Boy, DJ Mehdi is building buzz with a podcast that showcases his mix-mashes of synthy pop nuggets. On the first two installments, "Everything Black Party Music" and "Paris to NYC," Rakim, Bambaataa, and Prince call out Clipse, J Tim, and labelmate Uffie. Mehdi taps into that hybrid strain of late electro and early rap, flashing as much glitter as gold chain, and his busy-but-brilliant blends have the amped eclecticism of early battle-DJ megamixes. The latest edition, "Loukoums," is a collection of funky, cosmic outtakes from his new album. (TW)
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| Header Design: |
| Cherry Garcia | Bob London |
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| Editors: |
| Disdain for authority | Anna Balkrishna | | Nag champa | Irene Bradish | | Hookah | Jocelyn K. Glei | | Lack of job | Jake Lancaster | | Hemp clothing | Doug Levy | | Frisbee | Sascha Lewis | | Dreads | Mark Mangan | | Hackey sack | H.G. Masters | | Love beads | Colin J. Nagy | | Glassy eyes | Stephan Paschalides | | Ideals | Andrew Phillips | | Hatred of showers | Lisa Rosman | | Dirty feet | Jon Schultz | | Peace sign | Leah Taylor |
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| ABOUT US |
| Flavorpill NYC is a free weekly email magazine covering cultural happenings across art, music, film, theatre, dance, literature, and DJ events. All content is produced by a local team of writers in NYC. We don't include sold out events, and all listings are pure editorial — no money is accepted from venues, artists, or promoters. Read more about us. |
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| FEEDBACK |
| Please let us know what's on your mind, any and all feedback — comments, questions, ideas, or rants. |
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| EVENT & DESIGN SUBMISSIONS |
To let us know about an upcoming event that you think belongs here, please email us at events at least two weeks prior to the date.
To find out more about submitting cover art to run at the top of Flavorpill publications, go to flavorpill.net/design. |
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| Contributors: |
| Acid flashbacks | Marc Gilman | | Recycling | Paddy Johnson | | Care bears | John McCormick | | String-cheese incidents | Steve Nalepa | | VW bug | Dayo Olopade | | Flip-flops | Joshua D. Stein |
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| Production: |
| Karma | Anjuli Ayer | | Yoga mat | Chelsea Bauch | | Marley fetish | Jessica Bauer-Greene | | Good vibes | Justin R. Charles | | Tofu scrambler | Morgan Croney | | Woodstock '94 poster | Myla Dalbesio | | Phish food | Josh Deeden | | Aura | Jasmine Loignon | | Acoustic guitar | Judah Wiedre |
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| Every week, Flavorpill NYC presents one exclusive media partner. Click for more information about advertising opportunities on all Flavorpill publications. |
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We've teamed up with Current TV to invite you to create videos about the culture that matters. Hit our page at current.tv/flavorpill to get the skinny on how to participate, and potentially see your piece aired on TV to millions of viewers.
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Hi-fidelity updates
A twice-monthly email magazine highlighting the latest in electronic music — including news, reviews, and original features
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Books worth reading
A monthly review focusing on smart, readable works of fiction and nonfiction, from current titles to past gems
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Global fashion trends
A twice-monthly, insider view on fashion trends breaking in Paris, London, New York, and around the world
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International art
A twice-monthly email magazine covering art, design, and architecture with profiles, news, and reviews of international shows
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A weekly roundup of the most important and engaging news stories from around the globe
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© 2006 Flavorpill Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
This is a copy of a flavorpill NYC mailer. Use the link above to subscribe or click to automatically UNSUBSCRIBE. Flavorpill Productions complies with the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. For more information, please read our PRIVACY POLICY. If you have any questions about subscription to this list, contact us at nyc_subscriptions@flavorpill.net (HQ: 594 Broadway, Ste 1212, NY, NY 10012).
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