A pattern seems to be developing here. Choire Sicha, previously editor of Gawker, and current Los Angeles Times columnist and proprietor of The Awl, wrote a blurb for Tina Brown‘s The Daily Beast: Smart People Recommend. The premise being having an insider in their field offer one recommendation. Spending his days online, Choire wrote:
When you find an entrancing Web site that offers something valuable, exciting, and nearly impossible to get—and for free!—it’s like finding a unicorn in a barn full of bleating goats. In the interest of sharing the magic, I give you: Awesome Tapes from Africa, an anonymous and irregularly updated blog which features fantastic, gorgeous music in mp3 form from Zambia, Kenya, Morocco, Angola, and Egypt.
We couldn’t agree more. Awesome Tapes from Africa is an incredible blog. That’s why this May, 92YTribeca hosted Brian Shimkovitz, the man behind ATfA, for a rocking night of music from his blog. WNYC arranged to record the full set of music, you can check that out here.
92YTribeca, incubating cool six months in advance. And you can be right there with us. Sign up for 92YTribeca eNews to be the first to learn about added events, late-breaking news and exclusive offers. As well, 92YTribeca has active and frequently updated Facebook pages to help you can stay abreast of what is going with 92YTribeca Film, 92YTribeca Music, and 92YTribeca Comedy.
Music: PFFR Night: Members of PFFR, creators of Wonder Showzen and Xavier: Renegade Angel, will present a selection of their video work, from music videos to clips from shows.
We’ve done an extensive numbers crunch for you. Counting number of shows, most frequents guests, and more—including esoteric stats, such as the number of Foursquare Check-ins (203 as of 11/3/09) most requested beer (PBR) and the number of hits on our New York Timesparody video on YouTube (110,337 as of 11/3/09).
We were going to write a little blurb about what went down at Kevin Geeks Out About...Vincent Price, but then we read Kevin’s own recap. It became clear that adding anything more would be futile and redundant. Kevin has written the greatest blog post about one of the greatest Kevin Geeks Out About... and we don;t think that is hyperbole. Allow us to show you, as we recap his recap in bullet points:
Lisa Beebe served TWO kinds of Vincent Price cupcakes (portrait cupcakes as well as “fly” cupcakes with a plastic fly caught in a web of icing).
Writer Eric Drysdale (The Colbert Report) edited down footage from the promotional film for Sears’ Vincent Price Collection of Fine Art, followed by clips from a Price-hosted instructional VHS tape that came with the Nishika 3D Camera. (At the end of the segment, an audience member won said camera!)
...we heard a first-hand account of a teenage boy writing a fan letter to Vincent Price (promising him a role in a horror movie)
“Hey, I’m your host: DJ Sufjan. Thanks for coming,” he says, trying to stir the audience.
It will be a night of art — but exactly how, or what kind of art, no one is certain.
Stevens speaks for a brief moment and introduces the first act, singer/songwriter DM Smith. Unlike most folk singers, Smith is backed by six other musicians: a percussionist, a bassist, a cellist, two violinists and a viola player. The classical backing only serves to assist his enchanting howl, which channels Eastern rhythms. His short set is defined by simple, delicate arrangements, like an appetizer before the main course.
A few moments pass, and Stevens climbs the stage once more. This time, he explains that his second album, “Enjoy Your Rabbit,” was an electronic experiment that no one seemed to understand. As a result, he had the songs rewritten for the string quartet Osso, a group of classically trained women who perform interpretations of Stevens’ songs. Stevens’ experimental computer distortion transforms into high notes. The audience, formerly busy in conversation, is respectably silent. Dreamy sequences approach and linger as each song reaches a close. It is, most definitely, a non-traditional take on a classical medium.
Talks: On Stage with Next to Normal: Join us for an evening of music from the Tony-winning Broadway musical Next to Normal, featuring members of the cast and creative team in this one-night only event.
New York City Opera‘s new General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel is opening his first season there with Hugo Weisgall’s final opera, Esther. Esther was a Jewish prophet and queen of the Persian Empire in the Hebrew Bible, and heroine of the Biblical Book of Esther which is named after her. In a podcast here, Charles Kondek, librettist of Esther, talks with New York City Opera about the origins and roots of the operatic piece.
For further deconstruction, on Sunday, Oct 25, New York City Opera and 92YTribeca will join together for an afternoon with spiritual leaders, scholars and creative and performing artists for an afternoon discussion, multimedia, and exploration of Hugo Weisgall’s Esther. Tickets can be purchased online here.
Talk: Toxic Friends: Gender expert Susan Shapiro Barash explores the intricacies of women’s friendships and shares insights on how women can extricate themselves from damaging friendships to create more fulfilling ones.
Film: Streetwise FREE. with a 16mm film print from the archive of the New York Public Library, and director Martin Bell and photographer Mary Ellen Mark in person for Q&A. Read more on the 92Y Blog.
Moon Saloon: An open-mic session led by luminaries of the NYC poetry and music circles. FREE. Part of the Live at 92YTribeca Cafe series.
Film: Short Slam #1: Bring your under-twelve-minute film (on DVD only), get it shown and pad the house with your friends–audience vote determines the winner.
BBC News recently profiled record label Nomadic Wax, a company dedicated to bringing hip-hop from all over the world to a wide audience. BBC reporter Alexis Akwagyiram writes:
Public Enemy rapper Chuck D famously once said rap was “CNN for black people”.
In the years following its emergence in 1970s New York, hip-hop culture has manifested itself around the world - most notably in the many rap acts that now exist across the globe. Ben Herson is the founder of fair trade record label Nomadic Wax, which is committed to bringing acts from developing countries into the wider public consciousness by distributing music online, pressing records and making documentaries.
He argues that Africa is the true “birthplace of hip-hop”.
“It travelled through the transatlantic slave trade to the US, via the Caribbean - that’s what created this culture,” he says.
“Hip-hop is the missing connection between the US and Africa. It’s about a conversation within the African diaspora. There was Creole culture, the blues, jazz, rock’n’roll and it has become hip-hop.”
To help you become even more familiar with the music and artists, The BBC has included a world map featuring embedded video and audio of the music by artists mentioned, and three additional separate audio files streaming music or interviews. It makes for an informative and comprehensive read.
For a further education, 92YTribeca (”the new Apollo Theater”) will take this one step further, and host a CMJ Showcase: Nomadic Wax and The Bloom Effect Present: on Oct 22. To be hosted by Blitz the Ambassador and featuring global lineup of artists including New York’s own DJ Boo and Phat Phillie from Croatia. Also At Versaris from Spain, Holland’s La Melodia, Coolooloosh from Israel, Alfaress from Morocco and Nomadic Massive from Canada.
Film: Freeheld: New Jersey police Lieutenant Laurel Hester’s battle to leave her pension to her life partner. Co-presented by Chicken & Egg Pictures and Working Films with Judith Helfand in person along with other guest speakers.
Comedy Below Canal™: Some Folks Hosted by Wyatt Cenac with John Oliver, Hannibal Buress, Music from Che Grand and DJ Car Stereo (Wars)
There’s no other band like Califone. Ten years ago in this publication, Mark Richardson called them “the perfect sonic evolution for rock,” praising their ability to meld the noise prevalent in experimental music with the organic textures of folk as if it were the most natural thing. A decade on, that’s still accurate…
It’s hard to get a better review than that. All My Friends Are Funeral Singers is the companion album to a feature-length film of the same title, seen in the trailer above.
At 92YTribeca on Oct 23, unlike anything Califone has done to date, the band will perform a live, interactive soundtrack to the NYC premiere screening All My Friends Are Funeral Singers. Tickets can be purchased here.
Talks: Boulevard of Dreams: The Bronx’s Grand Concourse: Constance Rosenblum unearths the colorful history of the grand street, its interlinked neighborhoods and landmarks.
Walking Tours: Tribeca: New Diversity from an Industrial Past: Illuminating the vast changes that have defined this historic neighborhood, joyce Gold explores the history of the streets around 92YTribeca.
Talks: Honeybee: Talk and Tasting : Find out everything you need to know about bees—arguably nature’s most perfect creatures—and taste the variety in the fruits of their labor.
Film: All the Way from Michigan Not Mars: Often raising more questions than answers, the film is a lyrical examination of Rosie Thomas’ quest for an expression of truth and her unique brand of performance. Thomas will appear in person for post-screening Q&A and to perform some songs.
92YTribeca Video: The Swell Season Perform “Low Rising”
Swell Season Performing “Low Rising” at 92YTribeca, September 14, 2009
The Swell Season stopped by 92YTribeca last Monday, maybe you heard? They played an intimate pre-release showcase of new material from their eagerly awaited release of Strict Joy, the follow up to their soundtrack to the film Once.
Food: SoHo Chocolate Tour with Francine Segan. Visit SoHo’s most innovative chocolate shops, taste samples and learn about the fascinating world of chocolate.
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Unlike most folk singers, Smith is backed by six other musicians: a percussionist, a bassist, a cellist, two violinists and a viola player. The classical backing only serves to assist his enchanting howl, which channels Eastern rhythms. His short set is defined by simple, delicate arrangements, like an appetizer before the main course.
He argues that Africa is the true “birthplace of hip-hop”.
