Events

Looking For Some Fun This Weekend? Look No Further!

Amy Rose Spiegel :: Friday, February 19th, 2010 5:45 pm

Common logic goes that there’s no reason to ever get bored in New York City, especially not on a weekend, and I think this is one of those cases where I’m inclined to agree. If you’re not sure what you’re getting up to, here are some promising shows taking place tonight and tomorrow.

Playlist: Take Me To The City

Amy Rose Spiegel :: Friday, February 19th, 2010 4:30 pm

I’m not exactly what you’d call “well-traveled.” I’ve been to some excellent places and seen the great things they have to offer, for sure, but I’m not some jet-setter who can readily put forth an opinion on many of of the major cities of the world. Instead, I’ve learned about them largely through the lyrics of the musicians I listen to. Below are some of the songs that have whisked me to far-off locales over the years.

Finding Your Fortress of Solitude

Johnny Sanford :: Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 11:45 am

Last week, New York City was blanketed with the most snow we’ve seen in years, and New Yorkers got the chance to take a day to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in their bathrobes while watching the snow hit the proverbial fan. We were encased in a momentary Fortress of Solitude, and I took the time to think about where to find peace in this otherwise hectic town. MORE »

Fashion Week Ain’t Shit Compared To ’90s Sitcom Style

Amy Rose Spiegel :: Monday, February 15th, 2010 6:20 pm

It’s Fashion Week in New York City, and it seems like all my friends are frothing at the mouth about their favorite overpriced designer’s new collections. I love fashion, don’t get me wrong, but I tend to do a lot of hiding during Fashion Week. I don’t much go in for the crowded parties, the guilt-inducing gift bags (I hate that free clothing/swag goes to the people that obviously need it the least), and the seemingly endless discussions about draping, ruching, eviscerating, defenestrating, and whatever other verbs people are applying to clothing these days.

Snow in All 50 States?

Matt Kiebus :: Friday, February 12th, 2010 12:00 pm

The recent crippling snowstorms even shut down snow veterans like New York and Philadelphia for a couple days this week. The ill prepared Chesapeake Bay area of Baltimore and Washington D.C. have gotten blanketed with record highs in snowfall, which has resulted in business closures and weeklong school cancellations. Even the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas just received a record 11 inches of snow and the forecast predicts snow on the horizon for Louisiana and the Florida panhandle.

Reports coming out of Oklahoma City say that this could mean there might be measurable snowfall in every US state. It is unconfirmed, but this could be a first in our country’s history.

To be blunt, we are getting a shit ton of snow. It’s like something out of a Roland Emmerich movie. Pretty soon Obama is going to be looking for John Cusack to save the world. I starting to think maybe the Mayans were right and my back is already dreading shoveling snow in 2012.

Paul Simon ID Thief Busted

Adam Kearney :: Thursday, February 4th, 2010 6:15 pm

Here is a developing, music-related crime story that leaves us with more questions than answers. Yesterday in New York City, a man pretending to be Paul Simon attempted to access the world famous singer’s bank account. The would-be thief entered a Chase bank at W. 86th and Broadway at 1p.m. yesterday afternoon. Equipped with a forged drivers license and credit card, both with Paul Simon’s name on them, he attempted to withdraw $4300 from the account. The teller, obviously not a moron, recognized the man was over 6 feet tall and noticeably younger than the 5′3″, 68 year old Simon. When he refused to hand over the money, the man later identified as Rafael Ramos fled the scene immediately, but was picked up by police within minutes. He was taken to a hospital after claiming that he was depressed. Strange and hilarious as this may be, many questions remain. I’ll be following the story as we learn how he obtained Paul Simon’s Social Security and bank account numbers, how the license and bank card were forged, and why he chose the silver-tongued singer of “Sounds of Silence” as his target.

Fall In Love With Awesome Bands This Valentine’s Day

Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 1:10 pm

If you’re looking for plans on Valentine’s Day, there are tons of great shows that will surely impress the fine young music-lovin’ thing you’ve got your eye on. If you’re single, you could just take this opportunity to try and make some groupie-style, extra-heavy eye contact with that bassist you always thought was sexy. Who knows? Maybe it’ll lead somewhere.

Homebrew Culture invades New York City

Johnny Sanford :: Thursday, January 28th, 2010 1:00 pm

Homebrewin’ ain’t easy, but it sure is fun. Some people might scoff at the idea of getting their hands dirty in hops and grain, but homebrewing is fast becoming the hip trend in places like Brooklyn, as well as all over the world. The passion for homebrew is reaching a feverish pitch in this city, with the newly-renovated opening of “Brooklyn Homebrew” on 163 8th Street on 3rd Ave last week. With a line of brewers out the door upon it’s opening, it’s been a long time coming. MORE »

Misanthropic Professors or Intellectual Lovers of Metal?

Elissa Suh :: Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 3:45 pm

Professors discussing pop culture is always a riot, especially when it’s something as iconoclastic as black metal. Nonetheless, academics gathered at the Public Assembly bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn this weekend for a six hour symposium, “Hideous Gnosis”. Professors of Medieval literature, German, and a variety of other subjects divulged in the theory of black metal. That’s one way to keep young. Read in detail at the NYTimes.

Longwave Rocks Bowery with Unreleased Tunes

Amelia Kreminski :: Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 2:30 pm

I’ve lived in New York City for almost a year, and before last Saturday, I’d never been to a show at the Bowery Ballroom. I also work for a music magazine. I know, I know-it’s terrible. So on Saturday night, I thought I’d check out the indie rock group Longwave and their friends A Million Years.

The show marked the grand finale of a year of heavy touring for Longwave, and in celebration they played what was most likely the longest Longwave show to date, an expansive near two-hour set, with tunes spanning from their first album to their most recent output, Secrets are Sinister. The band also performed many previously unreleased songs and b-side tracks.

But do not fear! If you didn’t make it to the show, you can still hear the songs on their Myspace. From the electro-infused, rollicking indie pop tune “Razor on My Skin” to the mellow acoustic ballad “Everywhere You Turn,” these tracks aren’t something to be missed.

Find out more about Longwave’s upcoming projects, free downloads from their Franz Ferdinand-esque opening band A Million Years, and how to steal The Strokes’ old music gear after the jump. MORE »

Dirty Projectors Announce Fancy Shows

Isaac Lekach :: Monday, November 9th, 2009 2:20 pm

Sure, it’s a little bit away, but the Dirty Projectors have some neat shows coming up. They will play New York City’s Lincoln Center as part of the acclaimed American Songbook series on February 19th and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 27th. The Disney Concert hall was designed by Frank Gehry. It also sounds unreal there. For more information on the American Songbook series click here and for more information on the L.A. Phil and the Concert Hall click here.

About Bloomberg’s Victory…

Stephen Blackwell :: Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 3:40 pm

Yesterday morning all my friends from New Jersey were asking if I voted. I was like, Voted for what? The mayor? Why would anyone vote for the mayor of New York City? Bloomberg had it clinched. As a matter of fact, his campaign literature and advertising materials projected the following message: I am already the mayor; This election is happening to somebody else. Very Don Draper.

Like every other person who reads the New Yorker I was shocked he only won by a 51% margin. (The New York Times used the subtler term “unexpectedly close race.”) I am trying to figure something out: Am I an excruciatingly out-of-touch white person? Or is Corzine’s defeat n New Jersey and Bloomberg’s narrow victory emblematic of America’s distrust in the moneyed class. Or both? MORE »

NYC Kicks Off Where the Wild Things Are Week

Danielle Johnsen :: Friday, October 9th, 2009 1:35 pm

The highly anticipated big screen adaptation of the classic Where the Wild Things Are doesn’t hit theaters until next Friday, but there are a handful of things to get your fix before the big day. New York City and Warner Bros. Pictures have teamed up in support of the film and created a Where the Wild Things Are Week, which will feature events, readings and screenings in preparation for the films release on October 16th. MORE »