“To celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso’s sister, Salvador de Bahia decreed four days of festivities that culminated in a spectacular concert. This film is considered one of the most authentic documents on film about the life and art of the great female singer.”
—Rome Film Festival
Perfume Genius Plays 92YTribeca: ‘Something Pretty Special’
At right, Mike Hadreas, who performs as Perfume Genius, at 92YTribeca on Tuesday night, with Alan Wyffels who joined him at the piano / Photo Credit
Perfume Genius performed at 92YTribeca last Tuesday; one of only five shows on his schedule, three of which happened in Europe. Days before a practically unknown Perfume Genius was to perform, Pitchfork gave his album a 8.2. The New York Times music critic Jon Caramanica attended the show:
He’s a tender, bruised singer, like a less affected Antony. Though he rarely works with much beyond piano, he writes sturdy melodies and arrangements, solid enough to carry his bleak lyrics, doled out frugally.
92Y Video: Bill Charlap On The Legendary Partnership of Lester Young & Billie Holiday
Lester Young “changed the way that people play the saxophone.” Billie Holiday’s deeply personal style defined jazz singing; she “practically invented jazz singing.” Together, they were magic. As part of Jazz in July, tonight, we honor their legacies with a stellar ensemble including the vocal stylings of Mary Stallings, tenor sax legend Frank Wess and the incomparable Bucky Pizzarelli.
He’ll be at 92YTribeca this Tuesday, July 20 as part of a scheduled tour that will only allow you to see him in London, Paris (sold out), Berlin or New York City.
92Y Video: Lyrics & Lyricists: Babalu—The American Songbook Goes Latin with Lucie Arnaz
Lyrics & Lyricists™—Babalu: The American Songbook Goes Latin, is so hot that that it’s continuing to generate press mentions for 92Y seven months after its debut here. (Watch highlights of the performance above).
“We’re looking forward to telling more of the story. In New York, we were educating the audience; in Miami, it will be more of a homage to so many traditions,” said choreographer Del Barrio. “Working on this felt like it was the beginning of a new Broadway show. . . . I feel very fortunate that magic happened. We definitely felt that Lucy and Desi were in the room with us.”
The Shanghai Restoration Project put on an incredible multimedia show at 92YTribeca last month, mixing traditional Chinese music with hip-hop, jazz and interactive multimedia performance. Can you picture it? Luckily for those who missed it, you can.
Upcoming music events at 92YTribeca include: URB ALT Festival Featuring MuthaWit Orchestra, Leila Adu and Special Guests (Jun 25); Annie & The Beekeepers / The Woes (Jun 26); Spottiswoode and His Enemies / Martha Redbone (Jul 2); Noisemakers with Peter Rosenberg Featuring Diddy (Jul 6).
Londoners recently found out when The Guardian asked: “Who is he?” then proceeded to answer their own question. He is, they informed:
“A 26-year-old bedroom balladeer known as Mike Genius, whose intimate, crackle-laden piano pieces sound like Anthony Hegarty getting a glo-fi makeover. As far as trivia is concerned: he lives with his mum in Seattle, was championed early on by Los Campesinos! and likes to appear in press shots covered in colourful bruises (because he’s not just damaged inside).”
“One of the most honest and tender streams of art and music we’ve witnessed coming from any single person all year,” NME proclaimed.
Perfume Genius only has five live shows scheduled; In Paris (sold out), Berlin, London, and New York City. On July 20 at 92YTribeca, you can catch Perfume Genius during his limited scheduled appearances, in an intimate venue for what is sure to be a special show. He won’t be in such intimate rooms for long.
UPDATE: In a serendipitous coincidence seeing as his show is next Tuesday, Pitchfork reviewed his album today. They gave him an 8.2.
Just Added To 92YTribeca This Weekend: The Upperclass Men
We know what you are thinking. But no, those are not the real Power Rangers. That’s The Upperclass Men, who were just added to the line-up at 92YTribeca for this Saturday, June 5.
Like Oscar Wilde, I believe that ‘all art is useless.’ If you want political action, you need guys in the street with rifles.
--That was Woody Allen at the 92nd Street Y on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Read more great quotes from the evening at Culture Sandwich.
And for our downtown friends, 92YTribeca will be hosting Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Puffy, The Didster, (we could go on...) at Noisemakers with Peter Rosenberg on June 15. This will sell out. You should really get your tickets now.
Good folk is hard to find sometimes; in a city crammed with every kind of music imaginable, available on any night of the week at a myriad number of venues spread throughout the boroughs, it’s often hardest to find traditional folk that doesn’t put you to sleep.
Thankfully, we have musicians like Thomas Bartlett and Sam Amidon, appreciators of R Kelly as well as Woody Guthrie, to help with that.
Time Out New York attended the show as well, and has a photo gallery here.
The film is careful to avoid explicit political statement, but its reticence makes its critique of the Iranian regime all the more devastating. It will also make anyone who had grown cynical about the transformative, galvanizing power of popular music — an idea that might seem quaint in Western democracies, though less so in the former police states of the Warsaw Pact — think, and possibly believe, again.
The film features Iranian indie rock phenoms Hypernova and Yellow Dogs, who star in the film, along with DJ Loveletters. The bands’ music is forbidden in Iran, where playing Western music in public is illegal.
Both bands will perform tonight at 92YTribeca during the Official Afterparty for the film’s New York Premiere. Doors open at 8.30pm and the show starts at 9.30pm. Purchase your tickets here.
The forthcoming album eXpo: a compilation of independent Chinese electronic artists, which is timed to coincide with the upcoming World Expo in Shanghai, will be released May 4. This collection introduces an array of Chinese musicians and producers to the international community for the first time.
On May 15 at 92YTribeca, The Shanghai Restoration Project brings its unique blend of Chinese instrumentation, hip-hop and electronica in a multimedia performance featuring producer Dave Liang (TSRP), MC Jamahl Richardson, London-based artist Phildel and Brooklyn-based DJ Elan Vytal.
As seen in the photo above, Noisemakers utilized Twitter during the Q&A, taking questions from other Twitter users and projecting those onto a screen on stage.
Bronx born Peter Phillips, better known by the name Pete Rock, and lesser known as Soul Brother #1 or The Chocolate Boy Wonder, was one half of the ground-breaking rap duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Crate Kings has him listed as the third greatest Hip Hop and Rap producer of all time. He is frequently credited with having major influence on today’s Hip Hop music.
Reacquaint yourself with Pete Rock’s music at the Hype Machine.
This April 7, Pete Rock joins Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg for the latest installment of Noisemakers at 92YTribeca. HipHopDX caught wind of this, and asked:
With rumors circulating around the Internet about Pete Rock lending his production and deejaying expertise to Kanye West’s tentatively titled upcoming album, Good Ass Job, this is the perfect time to pay tribute to the man who changed how we think of adlibs, sampled the horns from “Today” by Tom Scott and the California Dreamers. So can Rosenberg get him to give up the goods?
“Pete has a couple really big things up his sleeve, some of which I hope he publicly reveals at Noisemakers,” Rosenberg offered.
“Men are like another species, they’re really hard to get through to.” Oh girl, you’re telling me! If only we could rap. Sigh.
In an infamous and wicked rad video clip from the 80’s cult classic movie Teen Witch, posted at Gawker.TV yesterday, we get to see this scenario play out in real life (in a real life movie). The cringe-worthy clip features the film’s stars rapping to some of the hottest beats produced by a synthesizer and toy drum machine kit. “The lip-synced rap is so awful and catchy,” Gawker.TV opined, not mincing words, “it must be witchcraft. Blame it on the boogie-magic.”
Well, hindsight is 20/20. If you want to relieve these glory years, stop by 92YTribeca next Fri, Mar 26 when brother-sister comedy duo Eliot and Ilana Glazer host a Teen Witch sing-along, part of our Sing-along series.
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