Hello lovelies,
Late this week, we're sorry...but you know what that means: we need help with the listings! If you'd like to get involved in our weekly offering to the community, please email virgo@geminiandscorpio.com - and also learn how to earn comps for G&S events by donating your time. Can't edit but would like to help out before/during/after events? Get in touch; we'll explain everything.
As promised last week, more news!
- Miss Scorpio is officially starting an "adult" party list & events series. For now, it's on Facebook only, but we'll set up a proper mailing list soon: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=259688232814
- Valentine's Eve Russian Baths tickets have been going pretty quickly. You got through tonight to use the code "earlybird" to buy two regular tix for $80. Info below.
- In addition to the Baths, we're planning the 8th annual G&S BDay bash for Sunday, Valentine's Day proper. It will be small and special, and will likely sell out in advance. Here's a teaser: a gourmet dinner lounge with live entertainment...in an opium den. It will also be the premier event of the newly redecorated 2,000sq ft Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary loft we're now working out of.
Cheers,
Gemini & Scorpio
Online Dating Gurus and Offline Party Mavens
http://www.geminiandscorpio.com
FB group: http://tinyurl.com/gs-facebook
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gemini_scorpio
Flickr pool: http://www.flickr.com/groups/gemini_scorpio
Please forward along to friends!
If this has been forwarded to you: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events_list.html
to subscribe for weekly events list, exclusive party invites, giveaways and offers
===+++===+++===+++===
OUR NEXT EVENT
===+++===+++===+++===
Gemini & Scorpio
present
A Steamy Valentine's Eve at the Russian Baths
Saturday, Feb 13, 7pm-2am
Banya, 602 Coney Island Ave bet Beverley Rd & Ave C, Kensington, BK
Details & tix: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events.html
FB: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?&eid=270113868216
Break out your bikini or swim trunks, and join our hand-picked crowd of artsy, funky (and nearly naked) New Yorkers for the glorious return of Gemini & Scorpio's legendary Russian Baths party.
We will have the newly remodeled & sparkling clean baths to ourselves, with a few hand-picked professionals on hand for the optional platzas and massages. Enjoy: Russian, Turkish and Swedish steam rooms, jacuzzi and cold plunge pool; poolside dance floor; rooftop smoking deck; hookah lounge and chillout rooms; authentic and delicious Russian food in a private restaurant room with a view of the dance floor.
Raya Brass Band, the newest fiery Balkan band to come out of the village of Brooklyn, will get you sweating faster than the saunas with swirling, dynamic music of northern Greece, the southern Balkans and the Romany people, playing two sets,10pm and 12am. DJ Joro-Boro, former resident DJ of the infamous Mehanata (Bulgarian Bar), keeps the dance floor sizzling with his hot EthnoMesh Megalophonia mix till 2am as we dole out free pierogies for everyone. There will be an open vodka bar 9:30-10:30pm.
"Best (and Only) Russian-bathhouse Dance Party" - Village Voice "Best of 2006. "A night of steamy fun" -- TimeOutNY "Your Perfect Weekend" pick. "Epic" -- Brooklyn Based.
Only 100 tix on presale; 50 more at door. Three ticket levels: $85 (7pm entry + open vodka bar + multi-course Russian banquet) /$45 (9pm entry + open vodka bar) / $35 (11pm entry). More details on each ticket tier are on our website.
This is the kind of party you always imagine, but can never quite find in real life...and the only one where you'll come out cleaner than when you came in.
Last year's banya bash: http://geminiandscorpio.com/e09-02-14.html
Hi res pics for press use: http://geminiandscorpio.com/photos/hi-res
===+++===+++===+++===
WEEKEND + WEEK
===+++===+++===+++===
***PUPPETS: Don Cristobal and Billy-Club Man
http://www.here.org/who/artists/doncristobalorr/
For centuries, the puppet Don Cristóbal has charmed audiences with his drunken, lusty, billy-club wielding antics. But does he secretly struggle with his role as the Billy-Club Man and long for love and escape? Through experimental puppetry, clowning and live music, Don Cristóbal, Billy-Club Man explores the violent appetites of Cristóbal's on-stage persona and follows him off-stage to reveal his poetic possibilities. Inspired by the puppet plays of Federico Garcia Lorca, the piece features shadow, hand and large figurative puppetry by Erin Orr and evocative original music by Rima Fand. (Tues. and Wed., HERE Arts Center, 145 Sixth Ave. (Enter on Dominick, 1 Block South of Spring), 8:30pm, $15)
===+++===+++===+++===
FRIDAY
===+++===+++===+++===
PARTY: Waterpod: Back to Land Party
http://www.thewaterpod.org/
Waterpod is a floating, sculptural, eco-habitat designed for the rising tides. It launched in the summer of 2009, navigate down the East River, explore the waters of New York Harbor, docking at several Manhattan piers on the Hudson River before continuing onward. The Waterpod demonstrates future pathways for water -based innovations. As a sustainable, navigable living space, the Waterpod™ showcases the critical importance of the environment and art, serving as a model for new living, d.i.y. technologies, art, and dialogue. It illustrates positive interactions between communities: public and private; artistic and social; aquatic and terrestrial while exploring the cultural richness of New York's five boroughs and beyond. Now you can spend an evening with the Waterpod team to celebrate their official return to land. Get an inside look into life on the Pod from it's summer voyage around NY waterways in a night of art, performance and film. Featuring Queen of Quartz, Furacoco, A
ndrew Carter and DJ Trent, plus an introduction by Douglas Kelley and a special back-to-land ceremony meal prepared by Bridget Stixrood. (Exit Art, 475 Tenth Ave. at 36th Street, 7pm-11pm, $15/sugg donation includes meal and 1 drink)
***FOOD/PARTY: The Last Safari
http://wandbnyc.com/index.html
This is the final week of events at Monkey Town. This event features seductive ambient, downtempo and experimental rainforest rhythms: Axolotl supplies their undersea electronic/acoustic oboetech; Cosmo D plays and remixes the cello before your very eyes; Dok Gregory + Peter Principle lead us on an exotic excursion; Douggie Style creates a space safari soundtrack; Jason Blackkat mixes anthropological audio artifacts; Jon Margulies explores uncontacted tribal sounds; Shigeto shares a spellbinding simian travelogue; Zack Hagan conducts us in prayers for rain. There will also be death-defying visual encounters with nature from video narrators: Jeanne Angel unveils spectacular jungle vistas; Ladyfirefly illuminates hearts of darkness; Sebastian Patante Masuelli unleashes lions and tigers; Seej remixes the wilderness into unnatural images; Terri Ferrari unmasks monkey mania machinations; The Housewives Guide to Anatomy exposes forbidden animal mating rituals. Plus party initiation
ritual by Akim Funk Buddha & Friends and installation art by Gregory Skolozdra. A prix fixe dinner will be served featuring vegetarian, fish and poultry options. This is the first Winkel & Balktick event to ever feature a full service dinner. Please attend in attire fit for the jungle. [G&S note: a few tix left for door sales. We'll be there!] (Monkey Town, 58 N 3rd St, bet. Kent & Wythe, BK, 8pm-5am, $50 w/dinner, $20 just party after 11pm)
Taylor McFerrin & Spokinn Movement
http://s80131.gridserver.com/public/
Taylor McFerrin, son of the legendary Bobby McFerrin, is redefining the one-man show. Combining his skills as a producer and performer, Taylor is making music heads around the world take notice as he seamlessly builds songs from scratch with his ambitious solo project. Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, samples, vocals and beatboxing are meshed together in his Brooklyn studio as Taylor builds from his roots in '60s soul to his vision of future hip-hop. Spokinn Movement is a Hip Hop collective consisting of four like minded artists that have performed, recorded, and composed broad and compelling styles of music. Drawing from their influences & creative inclinations, they bring a fresh perspective to live Hip Hop with a driving movement of melodies, groove, interaction & lyricism. (Galapagos, 16 Main St, BK, 9pm, $10)
DANCING: Remix-ed Friday Dance
http://www.SwingRemix.com
A night of swing dancing including a 9pm Dance Lesson “Move of the Month”, and live music from The Boilermaker Jazz Band starting at 9:30pm, plus a featured dance performance, special prizes & give aways! (Manhattan Ballroom Dance Studio, 29 West 36th, 2nd Fl., 9pm, $16/adv w/lesson, $20/door w/lesson, $15/door just dance)
DJ/DANCING: Brooklyn Wonderland Presents: Hot It Up!
Expect a hot & tropical dance extravaganza with bass-quaking, ass-shaking Digital Cumbia, Kuduro, Dancehall, Booty-bass, Afro-beat, Funk, and Hip-hop, all hotted up with live drumming and dancers. Featuring Uproot Andy (Bersa Discos, Que Bajo!?), DJ Dirty Finger (Black Label, !Dance Attack!), DJ Dhundee (Sugar Cuts), DJ Stylus (Brooklyn Wonderland), Live Drums & Percussion by BludDrums and Peter Barr and Live B-Girl Break-dancers The RokDaBeat Crew. (Littlefield, 622 Degraw St, Gowanus BK, 10pm, $5 w/RSVP to brooklynwonderland@gmail.com, $8/door)
House of Hearts: Enter the Tiger
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=244949847545&index=1
Dance party featuring special guest Stadenco, (killer NYC big room tech house), plus late night soulful house by Beenjammin', and residents The Bass and Cecil Grey (funky sexy tech house). (Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary, RSVP for address, 11pm-7am, $10/before 1am, $15/after)
===+++===+++===+++===
SATURDAY
===+++===+++===+++===
TALK: Brooklyn History Lesson
http://www.brooklynflea.com
Preeminent New York City and Brooklyn historian Professor Ken Jackson (Columbia University, The Encyclopedia of New York City, ed.; The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn, co-author) will join Prof. Stuart Blumin (Cornell) at the Brooklyn Flea to provide a freeform public talk on the history of the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Building and its relationship to Brooklyn as a borough, and formerly as a city unto itself. Professors Jackson and Blumin will delve into the building's architectural details -- from the giant golden mosaic map of Brooklyn on the bank's back wall to the wrought-iron depictions of artisans and skilled workers in the stained-glass windows -- while linking them to the broad narrative of Brooklyn as a longtime capital of the American working class. They will also answer questions from the public. [G&S note: From NonsenseNYC] (1 Hanson, BK, 3pm, FREE)
*PERFORMANCE: The Death and Resurrection Show with Acep Hale
http://observatoryroom.org
There is a secret history to this world. Buried beneath the onslaught of civilization’s crushing rise to power, ancient rituals, whispered myths and the half-forgotten legends of our nomadic ancestors have always peeked through the protecting veils known as entertainment. From the first shamans making dolls dance beside a fire through the ancient courts of Egyptian pharaohs, the markets of medieval England to the dark parlors of the Fox Sisters séances, Acep Hale takes you on a guided tour of the clowns, contraries, murmurers and mystics that have held fast to lives of wandering wonder. Acep Hale is a street performing magician, musician, traveler, and rogue gentleman scholar. Driven by the 19th century belief in propaganda by deed he performs daily on street corners everywhere to prove that magic still lives around every bend, you don’t need a nine to five to stay alive, and hope springs eternal between the cracks of every sidewalk. (Observatory, 543 Union Street at Nevins,
BK, 7pm, $5)
PARTY: Kombit-A Benefit Performance for Haiti
http://www.myspace.com/ftimz
http://www.myspace.com/ayannawitterjohnson
http://www.myspace.com/akuataylor
In Haitian creole, "Kombit" means 'to come together for the good of the community'. This benefit, the proceeds of which will go to Doctors Without Borders, features Mr. REO, the consummate Haitian via Brooklyn rapper; Ayanna Witter-Johnson, a unique young composer, song-writer, vocalist, cellist and pianist; and Akua Taylor, a singer with soulful African influences. (Lab 24/7, 247 Stuyvesant Ave @ Putnam, Bed Stuy, BK, 8pm-2am, $15 sugg donation)
CIRCUS: Sky Box Aerial Open Mic
Aerialists and variety circus performers from far and wide come together to present you with one epic little show. MC'd by the infamous Kae Burke (of the House of Yes Christmas Spectacular acclaim). Performers include Aerial Violinist Janice Martin, former Cirque du Soleil performer Sara Joel's amazing bubble chair piece, Graham Skipper of FUCT Comedy Troupe (shield your eyes) along with members of Lady Circus and the usual suspects from the House of Yes. Join is in a thrilling game of musical chairs after the cabaret show as DJs D_Juice and Reza heat up the turntables. Stack the folding chairs as quickly as possible to turn the theater into a dance party. Coconut smoothies and sangria by LoveGrrl. Feel free to BYOB as well. (House of Yes, 342 Maujer Street, at Morgan Avenue, BK, 8pm, $10)
PARTY: Year of the Tiger Dance Party
BangOn!NYC is teaming up with Shindig! to bring you: a 60ft long dragon, Cirque du Soleil style aerial performers, sexy fire performers and a monkey swing. Music will be provided by Noyesno and DJs Amazing Baby (Will Roan), Franco V, 33hz (Brion Isaacs), DJ Curly and DJ Cashbar, plus a Japanese Commercial DJ set by DJBH. There will also be performances by Ng Chong’s sexy Ping-Pong show and Very Dangerous Flying Kung-Fu Ninjas as well as a Japanese Pee Ceremony and a special appearance by Our Dear Leader Kim Jong-Il. Plus, see The Chinese Economic Bubble in person and have your dirty laundry cleaned courtesy of Happy Kat Laundromat. It is Year of Tiger, so dress; used panties prize for best costumes! (The Living Theatre, 21 Clinton St., 11pm-4am, $15 includes 5 hour open bar)
===+++===+++===+++===
SUNDAY
===+++===+++===+++===
NON-SHOP: Swap Your Stuff
http://cenyc.org/swap
The Stop N' Swap is the ultimate re-gifting party. Bring reusable items to share (portable items only) or simply bring a tote bag or two to take home things you can put to reuse. [G&S note: From NonsenseNYC] (Hebrew Tabernacle, 551 Fort Washington, at West 185th Street,10am-3pm, FREE)
*MUSIC: Pandora’s Music Box: Odd, Forgotten, and Long-lost Musical Instruments
The Ullage Group presents a cacophonous and fun-filled afternoon of unusual, under-appreciated, forgotten, and one-of-a-kind musical instruments. Part show-and-tell, part performance, all noise! Your ears will never be the same again. Doug Skinner will discuss and demonstrate some of the patent instruments and gizmo harps manufactured in the late 19th and early 20th century: the Regent Zither, Tremoloa, Marxolin, Celestaphone, Violin Uke, and whatever else makes it into the final, rigorous, editing process. Lisa Hirschfield will ponder the history, uses, and never-ending appeal of novelty and toy instruments, and will delight you with some toy tunes. Anthony Matt will dazzle you with a discussion of electronic instruments, their creation, and their destruction. He will also discuss the pioneering electronic sound work of Bruce Haack, who created several unique instruments including the Dermatron, and will bend your ears with the synthesizer-slaying sound known as Circuit Blas
ting. [G&S note: From NonsenseNYC] (Fabulous Jalopy Theater, 315 Columbia St., BK, 4pm, FREE?)
***MUSIC: The World Stands with Haiti
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=257314897612&ref=nf
The international dance band Charanga Soleil, weaving Haitian compas together with Cuban salsa and African soukous, will headline the show, culminating in an all-star descarga (jam) session with a line-up of invited guests: Cubans such as the legendary violinist Eddy Zervigón, piano virtuoso Leonel "Papo" Ortega and singer José "Pepito" Gomez; Puerto Rican vocalist Luisito Ayala; the great Haitian guitarist Richard Augustín; Jamaican jazz saxman Cedric Brooks; Dominican bass player Ray Martinez, and others still to be announced. There will also be live Haitian drum & dance by Markus Schwartz & Nadia Dieudonne, dance performances by Areytos Performance Works, Danielle Lima, Dalia Carella, Rara Dancers and music by DJs Neva, Al Angeloro, Andrea & David Medina. (Drom, 85 Ave A (b/w 5th & 6th St), 6pm-12am, $20/sugg donation)
***MUSIC: Horns for Haiti
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=263520911372
Come join the Hungry March Band, Raya Brass Band, and the Rude Mechanical Orchestra for a night of badass brass, haitian drumming, and ample dancing in support of our Haitian brothers and sisters, with special guest performances by DJARARA, Mikerline Afro Haitian Dance + Drum Troupe, Peniel Guerrier + more! Featuring a special moment with the Rev. Billy + the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir plus DJ Sentz. (The Living Theatre, 21 Clinton Street, 7pm-12am, $20/minimum donation)
MUSIC: Django A Go Go 2010: Celebrating 100 years of Django Reinhardt
http://www.barbesbrooklyn.com/calendar.html#January
Presented by The New York Guitar Festival and Stephane Wrembel.The great Gypsy Swing guitar player would have been 100 years old on January 23rd of this year. To celebrate, some of the greatest gypsy swing guitar player in Europe and the US are throwing a massive jam session featuring May Bittel, Biel Ballester, John Intrator, Babik and Stephane Wrembel. Concerts will be preceded by workshops; 1:30 pm: Maie Bittel, 3:15 pm: Babik, 5 pm: Biel Ballester. (Barbes, 376 9th St, BK, 7pm, $10/sugg donation)
===+++===+++===+++===
MONDAY
===+++===+++===+++===
**PARTICIPATORY: FIGMENT 2010 Kick-Off Meeting
FIGMENT is an annual arts event on Governors Island, with artwork in every medium, from installation to performance to music to games and many things in between. Participation is open to any artist who would like to share their work. It is a free, non-profit endeavor run by volunteers. In 2008, FIGMENT’s second year, over 10,000 people attended. In these challenging economic times, it is important that artists devise new ways to create, share, think, and dream about what is possible. FIGMENT is an alternative to many of the shortcomings of the commercial art world— exclusive, expensive, impersonal, untouchable and often simply boring. If you are interested in being a part of the team that plans and organizes FIGMENT, please join us at the 2010 Kick-Off Meeting. We have a wide variety of open positions for this year’s programs, including roles on our curatorial, fundraising, production, and communications teams. So whether you want to coordinate with artists, plan and run the
event, help us identify funding sources, or communicate with the press, we have a job for you. Please note that FIGMENT is entirely volunteer-run. You can put it on your resume and we'll give you a reference, but you won't get paid. We all work to create FIGMENT together because we believe in the power of participatory art and culture. (RSVP for location info@figmentproject.org 7pm, FREE)
VARIETY: Vaudeville Nouveau
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=288833155049
The shimmy-shake artists Rubie Fizz and BB Heart will tear-up the boards with classic bump and grind. The award-wining storyteller Peter Aguero will regal you with his hysterical takes on teaching, drugs and New Jersey. To round out the program we have Ravi the Scorpion Mystic, he can twist and turn and contort into shapes that has to be seen to be believed. Lastly but not leastly we have your humble hosts – Richard Kent Green who will serenade you and Nelson Lugo who will amaze you. As usual, we will also be featuring a very special raffle with some pretty epic prizes. (Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main St, DUMBO, BK, 7pm doors, 8pm show, $10adv/$15door)
PERFORMANCE: Penny Arcade Book Launch and Performance Gala
http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/915
Penny Arcade redefines the book party to celebrate the publication of her first book Bad Reputation. The evening will featuring readings from the scripts featured in the book and personal reflections on Arcade and her work. The evening includes confirmed appearances by Debbie Harry, Sarah Schulman, Dirty Martini, Jennifer Bell and special guests, erotic dancers, performances, music, booze and books! (Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, 7pm, $15/adv, $20/door, $30 w/book)
==+++===+++===+++===
TUESDAY
===+++===+++===+++===
BURLESQUE: The Curious Sofa: Book Club Burlesque
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=242823747952&ref=mf
For those who don't know, Book Club Burlesque is responsible for promoting sexy, literate fun through thematic choices. It is in every sense a Book Club, and in every sense a Burlesque party. It has been featured as a Voice Choice (Riverdale Sock-Hop) and features a revolving cast of eccentric contributors.This event will be another fantastic assortment of visual and performance works by very talented artists from the Lower East Side and beyond. (Parkside Lounge, 317 East Houston Street, 8pm-11pm, FREE?)
===+++===+++===+++===
WEDNESDAY
===+++===+++===+++===
DRINK: Atlantic Cellars Benefit Tasting
http://hardingsfamily.chipin.com/mypages/view/id/d9cba4384837da5a
A special in-store tasting event to benefit our friend and former coworker Harding, whose family in Haiti have lost everything in the recent disaster. There will be wines to sample and Ortine Cafe will be providing snacks. You can also donate directly through the link (above). (Atlantic Cellars, 990 Atlantic Ave at Grand Ave, Prospect Heights, BK, 6pm-9pm, by donation?)
===+++===+++===+++===
THURSDAY
===+++===+++===+++===
*MUSIC: Via Romen
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=407669810496
Via Romen's music and dances, drawn from a vast repertoire originating in Eastern and Western Europe and enriched by jazz, Jewish and Latino styles, enchant audiences with intricate improvisations, catchy tunes and flashy footwork. Deeply rooted in Russian-Romani tradition, this music is nonetheless modern, innovative and fresh. The group was founded in the USA by Vadim Kolpakov in 2004, and has since performed to glowing reviews in many North American venues. These include the New York Gypsy Fest, Harvard University, California Romani Festivals - Herdjelezi, the Colorado Festival of World Theatre; and the Romani Yag Gypsy festival in Montreal, Canada. The band members' talent has been recognized by a number of famous artists. Two founding members of the band, Vadim Kolpakov and Arkadiy Gips, were part of Madonna's "Sticky & Sweet 2008/2009" tour as part of the Kolpakov trio. VIA Romen has also performed with Gogol Bordello and Dresden Dolls. (Drom, 85 Ave A, 7pm-10pm, $15)
MUSIC: Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove and Jambalaya Brass Band
http://www.myspace.com/kirkjoseph
http://www.jambalayabrassband.com/
Kirk Joseph, formerly of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, is a master of the sousaphone. Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove is an assemblage featuring the "creme de la creme" of local and national musicians. The music is a tight, rhythmic and high-spirited concoction of jazz, funk, and afro-caribbean flavors. Jambalaya Brass Band is kickin' it hard with a flavor straight from the streets of New Orleans, paying their respects to the unique musical traditions of New Orleans incorporating a special blend of R & B, Funk, Gospel Traditional Jazz, Zydeco, Latin, Hip Hop and Be-Bop. They will take you on a historical journey through the New Orleans brass band tradition. It is a joyous romp starting from the early beginnings with Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong and ending up with their own modern sounds influenced by the Rebirth, Dirty Dozen and New Birth brass bands. (Sullivan Hall, 214 Sullivan Street bet Bleecker and W. 3rd St., 9pm, $10 before 9pm, $15 after)
===+++===+++===+++===
ONGOING
===+++===+++===+++===
PERFORMANCE: Coney Island-Now, Then & Forever
http://www.green-wood.com
An exciting multi-media show that celebrates the history and legends of Coney Island here at Green-Wood. Combining music, Victorian Mermaids, hand-carved marionettes and storytelling, these shows will bring life and depth to many of Coney’s legendary showmen (and Green-Wood permanent residents) including Charles Feltman, inventor of the hot dog; George Tilyou, Steeplechase Park founder; and Mile-a-Minute Murphy, 19th-century bicyclist who raced a locomotive–and won! These shows, produced in collaboration with The Puppeteer’s Cooperative, The Czech-American Marionette Theatre and Cosmic Bicycle Theatre, will delight guests and provide food for thought as New Yorkers, again, find Coney Island in the news. And on display: A special exhibition of Coney Island memorabilia from The Green-Wood Historic Fund archives AND the newly re-discovered Dreamland Bell! (thru 1/24, Sat/Sun 1pm and 3pm, The Historic Chapel at Green-wood, 500 25th St, BK, $15)
VARIETY: Magnetic Cabaret
http://www.magneticlaboratorium.com
http://www.bubblelounge.com
Magnetic Cabaret features five Magnetic Laboratorium's Live Video Light Action Cabaret, by New York City Night Stars, Associated Artists and Guess Artists. Magnetic Cabaret offers The Bubble Lounge clientele an over the top experience of an elegantly raw approach to cabaret. Hosted by Shasta. (Sundays 1/24, Bubble Lounge, 228 West Broadway, 7pm-1am, $15 + 1 drink)
ART: Vision Quest
http://observatoryroom.org/
A group show of neo-shamanic art. While the role of the shaman has traditionally been fulfilled by experienced elders in indigenous groups spanning culture and time, “VISION QUEST” posits that our artists fit the bill as well. Today, with more of us living in an urban jungle rather than a real one, it has become all the more important to figure out ways to internalize the lessons of nature: its growth, its brilliant bloom, its death. And in an age of digitization and distraction, of wire vines and humming screens, it’s no wonder we long for deeper, more sensory experiences of self - with all of its darkness and divinity. As such, each piece in “VISION QUEST” explores the archetype of the shamanic voyage, using the tools of paint, pencil, or paper in lieu of fire, flower, feather. Taken together this work represents a full spectrum of what it means to go underground and out of body; to go there and come back again, perhaps just a little bit wiser or, at the very least, more wi
de awake. (thru 1/21, Observatory, 543 Union Street (at Nevins), Brooklyn, various times, FREE)
PUPPETS: The Devil You Know
http://lamama.org/
https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/703395
The Devil You Know is a modern interpretation of the classic American short story The Devil and Daniel Webster about a poor farmer who sells his soul in exchange for financial prosperity. Using marionette and bunraku-style puppetry, revolving puppet stages, recorded dialogue and original music and multi-media projections, Ping Chong, Erik Sanko and Jessica Grindstaff will transform this Faustian tale into a hilarious and haunting mediation on lost souls, fool’s gold and democracy’s eternal promise for renewal. The Devil You Know is contemporary puppet theatre suitable for audiences ages 10 and up. (thru 1/24, La MaMa E.T.C., 74A East 4th St. NY, $30, Student/Senior $25)
THEATER: Radio Star
http://www.tanyaodebra.com
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200210671651
A 1940's radio detective spoof. Miss Tanya O'Debra lends her voice to ten different characters while her soundman (J. Lincoln Hallowell) stages live sound effects. Watch (but mainly listen) as Nick McKittrick: Private Dick hilariously solves a murder in "The Case of the Long Distance Lover". "A wonderfully playful parody of the 1940s New York murder mystery genre, brimming with lovable stereotypes and obscene innuendo…the best one-woman show I've seen." - Three Weeks, Edinburgh. "This one-woman ‘radio’ show is crackling good." - The Brooklyn Paper. "We expect her modern take on vintage norms to leave us in stitches." - Flavorpill. (Mon and Tue 25-26th @ 9:00, The Red Room, 85 E. 4th St. 3rd Fl. btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave, $15/$12 for students and seniors)
PUPPETS: Culturemart 2010
http://www.here.org/see/now/culturemart10/
http://www.theatermania.com/new-york/shows/culturemart-2010_163272/
Billed as an "Annual Festival of Hybrid Performances," Culturemart is a melange of dance, theater, opera, video, live music and puppet works by HERE's resident artists. [January 26-30] Epyllion - The dawning of the first day and the moonshine of the first night. A new creation myth told through puppetry, ritual, dance and song. Don Cristobal, Billy-Club Man - Drunken, lusty, Don Cristóbal is followed off-stage to reveal his softer poetic side. [January 28-30] At Long Last: Phrase 1 - A silent tale, unraveled through clown, puppetry, dance and inanimate objects. A Small Leashed Monkey - One of the stories that inspired Weaver's The Unreliable Bestiary, a Creative Capital supported project presenting a performance for every letter of the alphabet, each letter represented by a particular animal or habitat. Border Towns - A theatrical collage of recordings collected from the borders.
ART: Slash: Paper Under the Knife
http://collections.madmuseum.org/html/exhibitions/485.html
The exhibition takes the pulse of the international art world's renewed interest in paper as a creative medium and source of artistic inspiration, examining the remarkably diverse use of paper in a range of art forms. Slash is the third exhibition in MAD's Materials and Process series, which examines the renaissance of traditional handcraft materials and techniques in contemporary art and design. The exhibition surveys unusual paper treatments, including works that are burned, torn, cut by lasers, and shredded. A section of the exhibition will focus on artists who modify books to transform them into sculpture, while another will highlight the use of cut paper for film and video animations. (thru 4/4, Museum of Art and Design, 2 Columbus Circle, $15/Thur 6-9pm by donation)
ART: American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion
http://www.fitnyc.edu/336.asp
The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) presents American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion, the first exhibition to explore how the "philosophy of beauty" is allied to the craft of dressmaking. Each of the 75 looks on display was chosen to exemplify the relationship between technical ingenuity and artistic excellence. Curator Patricia Mears has focused on approximately 25 American fashion designers, ranging from the obscure, such as Jessie Franklin Turner, whose work dates from the late 1910s, to rising stars of the present day, such as the Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte. Other designers featured include Adrian, Bonnie Cashin, Maria Cornejo, James Galanos, Halston, Elizabeth Hawes, Charles James, Charles Kleibacker, Claire McCardell, Norman Norell, Rick Owens, Ralph Rucci, Isabel Toledo, Pauline Trigère, Valentina, Yeohlee, and Jean Yu. (thru 4/10, Museum at FIT, Seventh Avenue at 27 Street, FREE)
INSTALLATION: Never Can Say Goodbye
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=226383714305&index=1
No Longer Empty (NLE) will re-open the legendary Tower Records store with a multimedia art exhibition. Spotlighting more than 20 artists that work with sound, light, and image, Never Can Say Goodbye celebrate the store’s historic role as the locus of the community -- the old way to meet people face to face and share music and information. Each week a variety of music performers will capture the fleeting opportunity to play live in the ex-Tower Records space. Performances include Broken Mirrors with John Miller, Cleopatra’s, ((audience)), the Metropolis Ensemble, the Jon Herington Band, Azita, Disco Monkeys, and others. Exhibition features artists Ryan Brennan, Joe Diebes, R. Luke DuBois, Richard Garet, Invader, Josh Jordan, Meredyth Sparks, Kaz Oshiro, Naama Tsabar, Paul Villinski, and Siebren Versteeg. (Show thru 2/14, Former Tower Record Store,4th St & Broadway, Wed-Sun 12pm-7pm, FREE)
ART: Tim Burton Retrospective
http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/313
This major career retrospective on Tim Burton (American, b. 1958), consisting of a gallery exhibition and a film series, considers Burton's career as a director, producer, writer, and concept artist for live-action and animated films, along with his work as a fiction writer, photographer and illustrator. Following the current of his visual imagination from early childhood drawings through his mature work, the exhibition presents artwork generated during the conception and production of his films, and highlights a number of unrealized projects and never-before-seen pieces, as well as student art, his earliest non-professional films, and examples of his work as a storyteller and graphic artist for non-film projects. The opposing themes of adolescence and adulthood, and the elements of sentiment, cynicism, and humor inform his work in a variety of mediums—drawings, paintings, storyboards, digital and moving-image formats, puppets and maquettes, props, costumes, ephemera, sketchb
ooks, and cartoons. Taking inspiration from sources in pop culture, Burton has reinvented Hollywood genre filmmaking as a spiritual experience, influencing a generation of young artists working in film, video, and graphics. (Thru 4/26, MoMA, 11 W. 53rd St nr. Sixth Ave, $20 sugg/$12 students, Fri evenings 4-8PM FREE)
===+++===+++===+++===
===+++===+++===+++===
Do you have something to share with our readers or events you'd like to have included in our emails? Did we miss anything? We're always open to suggestions & feedback. Write to us at gs@geminiandscorpio.com and tell us your thoughts.
===+++===+++===+++===
Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events_list.html
)
