DREAM OF LIFE
by STEVEN SEBRING
Rizzoli Books
ISBN: 978-0-8478-
3208-8
Hardcover-416 Pages
Release date: September
2008

How is this for a combo: Patti Smith, the publishing geniuses at Rizzoli Book, and photographer/filmmaker Steven Sebring—pretty great, right? You have no idea!

Where to start. Well, the book is a by-product of the movie Dream of Life-Patti Smith that Sebring has been working on for about 11 years. The dedication of this man to his work is staggering and, in the simplest of terms, his efforts show and it was all time VERY well spent. Sebring, a masterful photographer, was so taken with the enigmatic and charismatic Smith after seeing her in concert that he contacted her to see if she would be interested in collaborating on a film project.

Integrated throughout the book are numerous private and never before published photographs, along with many quotes and transcripts that offer a real, unpretentious and in-depth look into the life of an artist of this magnitude; seldom, if ever, seen. With the Rizzoli imprint, we have come to expect certain things: perfect printing, the highest quality papers, flawless binding, superior layouts and type. This historic book is no different. This is a superior product and the film itself will go down in history as one of the great profiles caught on film of a star, in league with other great rock documentaries, most notably “The Last Waltz.” The general release date for the book and film are early August and September 2008, respectively.

Patti Smith is an artist without parallel. She is an innovator and an original, completely unique. From her early rock/punk roots to her now aged and soulful voice, she has shocked and amazed. And not just with her music—Smith’s poetry is unnerving, deep and inspired. Her love of classic poetry and poets, her respect for those who have come before her, her outspoken political views and her drive make her a true force of nature. She is a widow, a loving mother, a friend and a caring and concerned citizen of planet Earth.

Filmmaker Steven Sebring has mustered every ounce of his formidable talents to create this powerful, moving documentary. With the cooperation of Smith, together they have created nothing short of a masterpiece. The film has already been awarded with the Best Cinematography prize at the 2008 Sundance Festival. Sebring has also taken on the legendary position of photographing Smith for her CD covers, a position of prominence once held by the brilliant Robert Mapplethorpe; to date Sebring has photographed Patti Smith for her Gung Ho, Land, and Twelve covers.

If you go to this film with the expectations of seeing a Patti Smith concert you’re going to be deeply disappointed. This not a Martin Scorsese, Rolling Stones, every shot planned out, scripted and over-edited film, and it’s not the typical rockumentary with the obligatory black and white, slow motion in and out of a limo shot—although a good portion of the film is in black and white. This is an uncensored, unrehearsed open door look into the private life of one of the great artists of our time. Continue Reading »

When Nikola Tamindzic trudged into the East Village coffee shop, shaken by the sudden May showers, I was surprised that I found him to be, of all things, elegant. Tall, with a carved face, Serbian born Tamindzic wore a camera around his neck and indistinguishable attire. He shook off the rain and smiled. He is less like the “taller, rather more mobile version of Larry Flynt” that he once was quoted describing himself as and more of a gentle giant. He seemed sincere.

Tamindzic is probably used to defying expectations. His website is titled “Home of the Vain,” and his reputation doesn’t veer far off. His fame is firmly rooted in nightlife photography, having the innate talent to unearth a soft humanity in partygoers’ seemingly impervious vanity. “I was drawn to people who go out on a limb and are ridiculous,” he said. “You may go home to your shitty little apartment at five in the morning but until then you are outside yourself, something more.” Uncouth and raw as the scene may be, Tamindzic’s photographs always uncover a depth. Continue Reading »

The day after Frank Bango started mastering his hook-filled second album, The Sweet Songs of Decay, he was diagnosed with cancer. Since Bango, like most musicians, lacks health insurance, this was doubly bad news. Fortunately, his friends are trying to help by putting on a show at the Bowery Ballroom. And what friends he has—Richard Buckner is a master of low, gravelly-voiced folk music that is as sad as it is smart, while former Luna members Dean & Britta make dreamy, elegant pop music that would be perfect background music in any decent coffeehouse. This is a good one, folks. Don’t miss it.

Frank Bango Bone Marrowthon with:
Nada Surf (acoustic), Dean & Britta, Richard Buckner, Sam Champion and special guests
Bowery Ballroom, Doors 7pm 18+
$20
Get tickets here or at the Mercury Lounge Box Office.

Good stuff to be had in the parks this weekend, thanks to the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. Saturday’s show uptown in Marcus Garvey Park looks like a corker, thanks to the inclusion of mighty free jazz force Rashied Ali. But those of you who hate to go above 14th Street also have reason to celebrate, thanks to Sunday’s show in Tompkins Square Park. Randy Weston, for example, blends the elegance of Duke Ellington and Thelonius Monk with the sounds he’s absorbed while travelling through Africa. Jerry Gonzalez and Fort Apache have been nominated for two Latin Jazz Grammy’s, while pianist Eric Lewis has toured with Wynton Marsalis and Cassandra Wilson and is a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; he’ll perform a piece especially commissioned for the festival. And Gretchen Parlato (pictured above) has a voice that is said to have “a deep, almost magical connection to the music.” “Who said that, her agent?” you may ask. Well, no. It was Herbie Hancock, smart guy. Better show some respect; at the very least, show up.

2008 Charlie Parker Jazz Festival
Tompkins Square Park
7th St. & Avenue A
Charlie Parker Jazz Festival’
8/24/8 @ 3:00pm
Free

The Header No. 121 by Zeng Jianyong.

Eli Klein continues to bring us fresh insights into the world of contemporary Chinese art with the Header series, a group of recent paintings by Zeng Jianyong. The Header is a term used in the People’s Republic of China to denote the head of the class—the top pupil who not only earns good grades, but respects his or her elders and gets along well with others. That’s a coveted position, something Chinese children are encouraged to work towards. But the pressure of attaining or maintaining that status can sometimes lead to depression or suicide.

So it’s interesting how these paintings bear a passing resemblance to Margaret Kean’s big-eyed children that were so popular back in the sixties. These kids are also staring straight at you with big, sympathetic eyes but they look a little dazed, a little punch drunk. This difference pulls your attention closer to these watercolor and ink pieces that were painted on homemade rice paper. Most definitely worth a look.

Zeng Jianyong
Opening Reception: Saturday, 8/23/8 from 6—9pm.
Runs 8/23/8—9/6/8
Eli Klein Fine Art
462 West Broadway
(212) 255-4388
Open 7 Days, 11-7pm

Suzette Araujo

Come see Suzette Araujo resume the title role in the one-woman production of Chandeleirva. Araujo, a Cirque de Soleil alum, stars as the “free-spirited diva who faces her tumultuous past with humor and passion”. This is a role she has performed at Fringe Festivals since 2004 and along the way has perfected the balance between silly/absurd and refreshingly touching. It’s a delicate line and Araujo walks it well.

Chandleleivra
The Players Theatre (Venue 12)
115 MacDougal Street
Thursday, AUG. 21st - 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, AUG. 23rd - 8 p.m.
Sunday, AUG. 24th- 12 p.m.

A good, clear night for outdoor movies, something you may want to take advantage of if you’re like most people and have let your summer to-do list lie fallow. Time’s a wasting, kids, so get out there while you still can.

The French Connection
Central Park
Rumsey Playfield
DJ at 6pm
Movie at 8pm

Scheider and Hackman, back when cops knew how to dress.

Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider kicking ass, taking names, and maniacally chasing cars in the grand 70’s New York tradition. When this was made, you’d be suicidal to be in the Park after sundown. Enjoy the gritty aesthetic of days of yore in the safe comfort of modern Manhattan. Just don’t stray too far from the pack when you leave because we are in a recession, you know.

The Blues Brothers
Pier 54
West St. @ 13th St.
8:30pm

They’re on a mission from God. Sorry, I had to.

Yes, the movie is a little long for its own good, and its success is responsible for other SNL skits-turned-movies and, by extension, the career of Rob Schneider. Doesn’t matter. Belushi and Ackroyd are hilarious and the musical numbers are a wonder to behold - where else are you going to see performances by James Brown, Ray Charles, and Cab Calloway all in the same film? Certainly not in the best-forgotten sequel. Worth a look.

God, birthday clowns get creepier and sexier all the time.

The River to River Festival is keeping things outdoors and urban with Richard Move’s MoveOpolis, which presents Hostile Takeover–a series of site-specific dance performances that take on our pre-conceived notions of sex and violence, femininity and masculinity, reality and imagination. Butoh-inspired female dancers bring beauty and all of its attendant baggage to the traditionally male-dominated centers of high finance while DJ Savage provides the music.

The schedule:

Hesperornis Regalis (Seabird): 8/18/8, 6 pm, North Atrium Balcony, 3rd Floor of Seaport Pier 17 Mall
Mariko Mori Musings: 8/19/8, 12:30pm, 77 Water Street, courtyard corner of Water Street and Old Slip
Red Cicciolina: 8/20/8, 12:30 pm, 7 World Trade Center (near Jeff Koons sculpture), Greenwich & Barclay Street
La Danse d’Hermes: 8/21/8, 12:30 pm, Hermes Wall Street window, 15 Broad Street
cavalla bianca: 8/22/8, 5:30 pm, Fulton Fish Market stall, South Street, between Beekman Street & Peck Slip

…wave ‘em like you just don’t care: last year’s silent rave.

If you’re picky about the music you listen to, chances are good that you’re also picky about what you dance to. Even the best DJ’s are eventually going to kill your buzz by dropping the wrong song, the one that you couldn’t escape that one summer years ago, or that one that your mean ex-girlfriend thought was SO HOT and should have been a big, fat, honkin’ sign that you should have dumped her before she beat you to it. Those songs.

That’s why the silent rave is so ingenious. It’s simple: a whole bunch of folks gather at Union Square, plug in their headphones, and get down to their favorite playlist/mix CD/mixtape. Yes, mixtape—you know you’re still out there, people. Don’t be ashamed. And if you don’t want to participate, you can just stand back and marvel at the writhing, silent multitudes in front of you. Kind of meditative, really. Check it out.

Unity—maybe they weren’t at Diddy’s White Party, but they still rock the Hamptons.

So you have that share in the Hamptons. You love the water and the beach and the slower pace, and you want to get the most out of them since who knows if you’ll be able to afford this luxury next year. But you’re not so crazy about the night life. But why? What, you don’t like waiting in line for two hours to pay $12 for a Heineken and shuffle along to bad Justin Timberlake remixes just so that spray-tanned, hyper-blonde Marketing Associate might—just might—go home with you, providing your car is good enough? You don’t like that? What’s wrong with you?

Maybe you should do what the locals do and check out Unity at the Artful Dodger. Unity is a rock solid party band that plays the covers you want to hear—we’re talkin’ Low Rider, Sex Machine, Stand by Me, Moondance—you name it, they play it. No cover, no attitude, and you can get good beer for less than five bucks, not to mention a killer burger from neighboring Magic’s Pub. Welcome to the other Hamptons. You’re welcome.

Unity
8/16/8 @ 10pm
Artful Dodger
113 Main St (behind Magic’s Pub)
Westhampton Beach, NY

Plus/Minus, also known as +/-, is a pop band that writes melodies so sweet and catchy that there is really no good reason why they aren’t ten times more popular than they currently are. Co-guitarists/singers/songwriters James Baluyut and Patrick Ramos are both veterans of Versus, one of NY’s greatest indie-bands-that-almost made-it. Drummer Chris Deaner is a rhythmic genius who is adept at switching from electronic beats to full rock kit thunder in the same bar, a skill that lead to him playing drums for Kelly Clarkson a little while back. It could very well be the rhythmic complexity that he and everyone else in the band so tastefully employs that keeps them from competing with the Top 40 crowd, but it is also what gives their songs a distinctive edge that indie fans worldwide have come to appreciate. You should definitely go.

Fri 8/15/8
+/- {plus/minus} 11:30
Hymns 10:30
Bridges & Powerlines 9:30
Loud Est Boom Bah Yea 8:30
$10 adv / $12 dos
Mercury Lounge
217 E. Houston St. (corner Ave A & Houston)
New York, NY map & directions
212–260–4700
Advance Ticket Box Office Hours: Mon–Sat, Noon–7pm

Hot Coffee Table by Dean Radinovsky.

The folks at Chashama are celebrating funky, crafty, appropriation-heavy art in Alphabet City, starting this weekend. The work lends itself to the unconventional and irreverent, and features scores of artists known for their unusual perspectives and choice of materials. They include Elaine Defibaugh, Ryan Frank, Abby Goodman, and one of my favorite street artists, El Celso. Definitely worth a look.

Tax Free Art: an Art Celebration in Alphabet City
August 15-August 27
At Chashama ABC Gallery
169 Avenue C
Tuesday-Sunday 1-6pm
and
Teneleven Tavern
171 Avenue C
Monday-Sunday 2pm-4am
and
Monk Thrift Shop
177 Avenue C
Friday August 15 to Sunday August 17, 1pm-6pm
(opening weekend only)
Opening: Friday, August 15, 6-9pm

Speaking of der Spiegeltent, Bust Magazine will be celebrating its 15th anniversary there this Tuesday. Their brash, funny, and occasionally sexy brand of feminism is a welcome alternative to the staid “women’s interest” magazines that consistently glut the racks. Bust. Rack. Heh. Heh. Heh.

See, that’s the kind of dumb joke that the publication whose by-line is “The magazine for women with something to get off their chests” is too smart to be upset about. That kind of irreverent savvy is exemplified by the stellar line-up of performers at this event: Amy Sedaris is the host, JD Samson the DJ, and Murray Hill, The Pontani Sisters, Morningwood and many others will all be doing their thing. The first 500 people get a free gift bag, subscription and yes, a cupcake. Not bad for $25. Don’t miss it.

Bust Magazine 15th Anniversary Party
8/12/8
8pm - 1am
The Spiegeltent
Pier 17, South Street Seaport
Get tickets here.
See the full line-up here.

Things don’t look good for the young lady on the floor.

The New York International Fringe Festival began yesterday, and as always it will likely be something of a crap shoot. Genius will share the stage with pretentious drivel and a pleasant night out, and there’s no way of knowing which is which. Still, each performance is an hour or less and costs a mere $15, so taking a chance can pay off.

Chicago’s Tantalus Theatre Group gives us Dreadful Penny’s Exquisite Horrors, a potentially macabre mix of sideshow spectacle, cabaret flirtation, creepy puppets and scary red lighting. And yes, it will be at Spiegelworld, the elegant, seasonal venue that is worth the price of admission on its own. Take a chance on this one, and look over the rest of the schedule here.

Dreadful Penny’s Exquisite Horrors
The Deluxe at Spiegelworld
Pier 17 - South Street Seaport
Performances:
Wednesday, 8/13/8 at 5:15 p.m.
Thursday, 8/14/8 at 8:00 p.m.
Friday, 8/15/8 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 8/16/8 at 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, 8/16/8 at 8:15 p.m.

Kenny Mellman

Tony Award Nominee Kenny Mellman presents a 45 minute musical about homophobia, murder, and the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy. It’s a surprisingly earnest cabaret style show that tells the true story of Allen Schindler, a gay Navy officer who was beaten to death by fellow sailors in a public bathroom in Sasebo, Japan in 1992. Mellman interjects tales of his own brushes with homophobia and includes a verbatim reading of one of the killers’ descriptions of the murder. This is powerful stuff, and not at all what one might expect from the camp genius behind Kiki and Herb. Part of the 2008 Dixon Place HOT! Festival: The 17th Annual NYC Celebration of Queer Culture.

Say Seaboy, You Sissy Boy?
Aug 7, 8, & 9 at 8pm and 10pm
Tickets: $15, $12
Dixon Place
258 Bowery, 2nd Floor
Between Houston & Prince
212.219.0736

This will be an excellent show for fans of smart music that’s also a little rough around the edges. The French Kicks mix rocks both garage and indie to great effect, while Headlights are said to mix psycehedelia with elecctronics and strings, with a little 60’s girl group thrown in just to keep things fun. And the evening kicks off with Union Hall’s Secret Science Club, a lecture/cabaret series that brings science geeks of various pedigrees together to wax scientific and maybe, just maybe, keep that part of your brain from atrophying.

The real stars tonight, though, are Tiny Masters of Today, a scrappy punk outfit featuring Russel Simmins of The Blues Explosion on drums and fourteen-year-old Ivan on guitar and vocals and his twelve-year-old sister Ada on bass and vocals. Their debut album drops in September and will feature guest appearances by Karen O and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches, Fred Schneider of the B-52s, and Butthole Surfer Gibby Haynes. Apparently David Bowie is a big fan. Oh yeah, and it’s all a short walk over the bridge to DUMBO, and if you’re like me, you need the exercise. So go.

Music at the Bridge
8/6/8 @ 6:30pm
Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park
New Dock St. at the East River
Dumbo, Brooklyn
(718-858-4708)
FREE

Amy Ray, a.k.a the Indigo Girl who sounds like she could probably kick your sorry ass, is a hero to all kinds of people - folk music fans, lesbians, feminists, and anyone who appreciates rough, soulful voices that are the complete opposite of the studio-perfected dreck that kiddie pop stars and kiddie emo bands alike shove down our ears every day.

Her third album, Didn’t It Feel Kinder, is being released on her own not-for-profit label Daemon Records, which has championed such great underground band as The Rock*A*Teens, Cordero and The Ellen James Society. She’s a good fit for The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, for which this show is a benefit. Yeah, it’s a little pricey, but Housing Works does good work for folks with AIDS and your chances of seeing Amy Ray in a venue this intimate again are pretty slim. Go.

Amy Ray
8/6/8 @ 7:30pm
$50
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street
Get tickets here.

CUNY Graduate Professor Dagmar Herzog will be reading from her third book, Sex in Crisis, which delves into the ways that right-wing moralists are “naming and framing” the national sexual debate. What’s interesting is how they’ve appropriated sex-positive language to meet their own fundamentalist ends. For example, G-Spot stimulation is a wonderful thing—heck, it could even bring you closer to God! As long as it’s your husband who gives it to you. Other girls, non-spouse men, your own bad self? Nuh uh. God says no.

Dagmar Herzog (whose name almost guarantees her a career in brainy alt-porn should she ever tire of academia) has received positive reviews for her ability to expose the hypocrisy and hatred behind the people who want to teach abstinence-only education to our kids and keep our gay friends away from the altar. This reading should be a good one; put it on your calendar.

Dagmar Herzog: Sex in Crisis
8/4/8 @ 7:30pm
Free
Barnes & Noble
396 6th Avenue @ 8th Street

Bring the kids down to the Seaport Museum to see hundreds of ship models and to talk with the builders, as well. Remote controlled boats will be demonstrated in a special pool on the pier. Sweet. Supervised craft activities—like creating secret code messages with signal flags and building and sailing their own model boat ($2 charge per boat)—will be available for children, so don’t be all shop daddy about it and tell your kid how to build their own boat. Get your own and build it on your own time, smart guy.

16th Annual Ship and Boat Model Festival
Saturday, August 2, 2008
and Sunday, August, 3, 2008
1-5 PM
Free
South Street Seaport Museum
12 Fulton Street
212.748.8600

Brace yourself for a radical, seemingly insane idea. Ready? Really? ‘Cause this is going to mess up your view of the world and everything in it. Okay. Don’t say you weren’t warned…

People will, on occasion, if properly induced, dance to rock music.

It’s true. Guitars, real drums, and non-auto-tuned voices can sometimes get people to gyrate with wild abandon on the dance floor, especially if the DJ’s in question are glam-rock experts Twig the Wonderkid, Michael T and Harley Sears. Live action from The Oskar and Wildstreet certainly doesn’t hurt, nor does go-go dancing from ladies like Apathy, who inspires anything but. Once again, the SoHo Journal is encouraging you to party like a nineteen year old on a Sunday night and miss church the next day. You’re welcome.

Glamdammit
8/2/8 , 10pm
$10
Don Hill’s
511 Greenwich St. at Spring St.
212.219.2850

It’s a problem as old as the ages: It’s Saturday night. A young couple wants to go out on the town, but he wants to go to a comedy club, while she wants to look at naked men all night. Finally, a solution has been found—The Naked Comedy Showcase. Andy Ofiesh, a comedian/nudist from Boston, has been hosting this night for four years now and it’s starting to become known; it was a big hit at the Scottish Fringe Festival. No word if tonight’s show will feature naked lady comics. Or prop comics or puppeteers. Finding at least one comic who makes you feel better about the state of your own body is almost guaranteed, though, so this is truly a night that has something for everyone. You should go.

The Naked Comedy Showcase
8/2/8, 8PM
The People’s Improv Theater
154 West 29th Street
212.563.7488
Get tickets here.

Princess Katie & Racer Steve are a kids’ band that won’t make parents want to gag from too much cutesiness. They work with the dirty truth that boys tend to like action and girls tend to want to be princesses while singing songs about things that everyone can relate to, like the awesomeness of a comfy pair of jeans. They can really play, too—the band has more in common with the B-52’s than with the (shudder) Doodlebops. This is a free show, so skip happy hour and bring the kids down to the park.

Princess Katie & Racer Steve
Thursday, July 31, 2008
6:30 PM
Washington Market Park
310 Greenwich Street @ Chambers Street
Rain or shine. Rain location: Manhattan Youth’s Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren Street.

Os Gemos at Dietch.

The Deitch Projects opened on 76 Grand Street in 1996, before Al Gore’s invention ‘the Internet’ exploded and iPhones re-established the technological marketplace. It was a time when politicians’ infidelities were still notable, sitcoms were profitable, and the taste of the future was indeed palpable.

In this time of progression, founder Jeffery Deitch’s insight to the gap in the artistic market for quality contemporary postmodern (or is it post-postmodern?) galleries proved very successful. The ambitious scale, dazzling variety and successful execution of the ensuing projects prove that with vision comes longevity. These visions have included massive instillations, mixed medium exhibitions, and performance art events that have made the gallery one of the most continually innovative and notorious the art world has to offer.

Since its beginnings Deitch Projects opened an additional space in Soho at 18 Wooster St. and one in Long Island City. It has featured artists from 33 countries and over 120 solo installations. It is also known for bringing a youthful perspective and embracing multiple mediums. It never shies away from party, partiality or spectacle. Among the most famous projects include the 1996 exhibition Shopping and Fischerspooner’s over the top performance art piece.

While roaming around the Wooster Street gallery, I overheard a skinny-jean clad sideways hat wearing hipster say, “It feels like a tribal pop-punk band that doesn’t suck.” I hate to say this, but I have to agree. It’s well worth the visit. Here are the current shows, as described on Deitch Project’s website: Continue Reading »

Red 71 is an adaptation of the 1930’s crime fiction short story by Paul Cain; the movie is set in a small desert town in the 1960’s. When a private eye starts investigating the goings on of the mysterious Club 71, people start dropping like flies. Cover-ups involving money and sex are unveiled, only to lead to more cover-ups. Red 71 is supposed to mix elements of Orson Welles’ classic A Touch of Evil with the discombobulating strangeness of David Lynch. All well and good, but this is a little indie movie that hasn’t gotten much press, and what it has received has been mixed—great visuals, so-so script is the gist of it. Well, here are a couple of reasons to give this little noir that could a chance:

1. It’s playing at the Pioneer in the East Village, which is a friendly lil’ neighborhood spot that sells homemade chocolate chip cookies that make a fine dessert after your spectacular meal of Bahn Mi from Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches, just a block away on East 2nd Street.

2. The movie’s coroner is played by none other than Angus Scrimm of Phantasm fame. If you’ve never seen Phantasm then you have some serious catching up to do in the Great Horror Films of the 70’s department.

3. The movie’s soundtrack is provided by instrumental mood-rockers Friends of Dean Martinez, who are known for putting images of lonely dessert night drives in people’s heads with just a few notes.

You should go.

Red 71
Through 7/31/8
Pioneer Theater
155 East 3rd Street at Avenue A
(212) 591 0434