Date: February 5th 2010

Hello lovelies,

We have been running all over town this week, picking up all sorts of Asian gorgeousness for Valentine's opium den party & our 8th Bday bash. Our new homebase, Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary, is undergoing a complete transformation for this event. We could use help, so if you'd like to lend a hand (yes, party discounts and comps available), please email Michelle at virgo@geminiandscorpio.com for details.

Some event extras you may not have heard about yet: House of St Eve drinks (of course); love tarot reading by Marcy Currier; decadent body painting by 2nd Skin; custom mural by Molly Crabapple, and delicious drink specials at affordable prices. And lots and lots and of pillows... Please get your dim sum dinner tix ASAP, so we know how much food to order!

We have a couple of discount tickets for those of you who can help us get word out this week. Have you got over 500 friends on Facebook or Twitter? Have a mailing list or a group you can spread the word to? Please get in touch.

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

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OUR NEXT EVENT, 2/13
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Gemini & Scorpio
present

Our 8th Annual "Get Off...Line" B-Day Bash: The Vault of Golden Vapors

Valentine's Day, Sun Feb 14, 7pm-2am, 21+ (25+ recommended)
Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary loft, Prospect Heights, BK, RSVP on website for address
7pm admission with dim sum dinner: $40; 9pm: $20; 11pm: $10
Tix & details: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events.html
FB: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=286285551480

On Chinese Moon Year's Eve, a dreamful night in an opium den of our making. Recline in languid repose and drift in the pleasures of intimate performance, golden-throated singers, tales told in glistening flesh, exotic cocktails and delectable dim sum. Featuring live vintage Chinese jazz by Shien Lee of Shanghai Triad and Dances of Vice, Chinese ballads by talented young composer Natti Vogel, Asian-inspired burlesque by Dame Cuchifrita and GrandmaFun, and your opium den madam The Flying Fox. Late-night ethno-lounge grooves by DJ Nightshade. Love tarot readings by Marcy Currier. Decadent body painting by 2nd Skin. Custom mural by Molly Crabapple. And of course cocktails by The House Of St Eve (yes, t.h.o.s.e. drinks)...

This party is also the offical launch of the newly redecorated Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary 2000sq ft loft that is now our home. Even if you've seen it before, you've never seen it like this. Only 100 person capacity until 11pm; advance tickets recommended.

Dress code: Asian opulence, sexy lounge, crimson + gold, trailing sleeves and dress trains, colorful kimonos, printed silks.

Hi res pics for press use: http://geminiandscorpio.com/photos/hi-res


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OUR NEXT EVENT, 2/14
===+++===+++===+++===

Gemini & Scorpio
present

Our 8th Annual "Get Off...Line" B-Day Bash: The Vault of Golden Vapors

Valentine's Day, Sun Feb 14, 7pm-2am, 21+ (25+ recommended)
Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary loft, Prospect Heights, BK, RSVP on website for address
7pm admission with dim sum dinner: $40; 9pm: $20 adv/$25 door; 11pm: $15
Tix & details: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events.html
FB: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=286285551480

On Chinese Moon Year's Eve, a dreamful night in an opium den of our making. Recline in languid repose and drift in the pleasures of intimate performance, golden-throated singers, tales told in glistening flesh, exotic cocktails and delectable dim sum. Featuring live vintage Chinese jazz by Shien Lee of Shanghai Triad and Dances of Vice, Chinese ballads by talented young composer Natti Vogel, Asian-inspired burlesque by Dame Cuchifrita and Grandma Fun, and your opium den madam The Flying Fox. Your late-night grooves delivered by DJ Nightshade, with his signature sexy ethno-lounge mix.

This will be an intimate affair that we expect to sell out. This party is also the offical launch of the newly redecorated Brooklyn Urban Sanctuary loft. Even if you've seen it before, you've never seen it like this.

Hi res pics for press use: http://geminiandscorpio.com/photos/hi-res


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WEEKEND + WEEK
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PERFORMANCE: Straight Up Vampire
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=290838638409
Paula Abdul's Straight Up Vampire or The History of Vampires in Colonial Pennsylvania as Performed to the Music of Paula Abdul (The revival of the tour revival....Just in time for Valentine's day); book by Nick Jones, Zak Vreeland and Peter James Cook; music and lyrics by Paula Abdul; arranged and performed by Dr Steam Whipple and the Prescriptions; directed by Peter James Cook. It's 1763 and there are vampires in Philadelphia. Paula Abdul Blackwood is a beautiful young quaker girl being forced into marriage with the wheelwright's son. Jack Sheridan, a politically idealistic young vampire, is the man she loves. Everywhere there is dissent. Fractious parties debate the future of the colony. MC Skat Kat and Benjamin Franklin vie for power in the Assembly. A touching, informative, and spooky musical hayride through fake American history, set to the music of Paula Abdul, as performed by the likes of the O'DEBRA TWINS, CORN MO, NICK JONES of Jollyship the Whiz-Bang, and more. (Feb
10-11, Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St., Wed. 9:30pm, Thurs. 7pm, $15)


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FRIDAY
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OPENING: New Moon: Interpretations of the Chinese Zodiac
http://www.myplasticheartnyc.com/
Curated by John Wong, this exhibition at My Plastic Heart brings together twenty-six artists from around the world to lend their own styles and sensibilities to the 12 zodiac animals. Included will be works encompassing a wide range of media from paintings and collages to custom figures and digital artwork. This is one of My Plastic Heart’s most anticipated events of the year. (Show thru 3/6, My Plastic Heart, 210 Forsyth St., 6pm-9pm, FREE)

PUPPETS: Puppet Playlist No. 5: Country Music
http://www.puppetplaylist.com
http://www.thetanknyc.org
Puppet Playlist takes talented puppeteers and brilliant musicians and slams them together into an evening of live theater to stir the senses. This month we bring you cowboys, heartache, whiskey, and hound dogs. Each puppeteer will chose a country song and create an original piece based on or inspired by that song. The playlist will also feature music by some of New York's most exciting young singer-songwriters. Featuring pieces by: Lindsey "Z" Briggs, Ben Dziuba, Elizabeth Hara, Jon Levin, Marta Mozelle MacRostie, the Princes of Persuasion and Cardium Mechanicum, featuring Jenn O'Donnell, Jennifer Schmermund, and Ed Valentine. Musical performers include: Robin Aigner, Dr. Charles Booth, Overton Hatfield II, Hawke and Owl, Anna Leuchtenberger and a Band of Varmints, Leah Siegel, and Matt Singer. (The Tank, 354 West 45th Street, bet 8th and 9th avenues, 7:30pm, $7)

TALK: In the Henry Darger Archive: From Rebellious Transsexual Child Slaves in Oz to Korean and Vietnamese Orphans
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=271096617091
Outsider artist Henry Darger (1892-1973) is commonly remembered as a reclusive janitor who spent his life secretly creating a richly realized, bizarre and perverse fantasy world discovered only upon his death. While most who have considered Darger have seen his work as a spontaneous act of solitary and warped imagination, in tonight’s lecture, Darger scholar Jaimy Mann will reexamine the accepted narrative by discussing Darger’s work within the larger context of American cultural history and Darger’s personal biography. She will also introduce us to the holdings of the Henry Darger Archive held by the American Folk Art Museum in New York — where she conducted research as the 2009 Henry Darger Study Center Research Fellow — and give advice on how interested parties can gain access. (Observatory, 543 Union St at Nevins, enter through Proteus Gowanus, 8pm-9:30pm, $5)

MUSIC/DANCE: Matt Darriau Trio and Tribal Fusion Bellydance
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=319267051010
A night of middle eastern reeds, oud, dumbek/percusion and Tribal Fusion Bellydance. Klezmatics Grammy Winner Matt Darriau will provide saxophone, clarinet and ethnic woodwind specialty; Brandon Terzic will add hints of blues and funk and Seido Salifoski will play dumbek in the Balkan and Middle Eastern Style. Dance performance by Sarah Locke; she calls her style of dance Tribal Fusion Bellydance. It's a modern world fusion style that draws from Indian dance, Flamenco, Gypsy/Roma dance and other styles, along with the more traditional North African and Middle Eastern bellydance -- so it has layers of earthy, strong attitude along with lyrical, graceful qualities. (DownHouse, 250 Ave X., BK, 8pm-12am, FREE?)

PARTICIPATORY: Drink-n-Draw-Overdrive: A Party for People who Love to Draw
http://www.3rdward.com/drink-n-draw/
Everyone's favorite weekly figure drawing event goes big for the New Year! For the first time, we're opening up 7,000 sq. ft. on our 2nd floor for a 6-hour Drink-n-Draw extravaganza. As always we'll provide the models and the beers, but this time there will be 10 models (costumed & nude), long & short drawing sessions, a cash bar and music from DJ Tanner, DJ Trent, The Fieros, Ego Puppets, War Cubs, complimentary Colt 45 and a cash bar. Bring your drawing tools, creativity and a friend or a date. (3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Avenue, BK, 8pm-2am, $20)

PARTICIPATORY: Alice in Wonderland: Michael Alan's Drawathon Theater
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=312554933661
Beautiful, bizarre and unlike any version you could imagine. This cannot be missed. This is your chance to draw, paint and re-imagine a classic epic. Michael Alan and an all-star cast of 15 nude maniacs will retell Lewis Carroll’s brilliant fantasy of imagination, truth and nonsense. As the iconic, absurdist Wonderland characters, models & performers will try to convince Alice that she is who she was as a child. Jan Svankmajer’s innovative Alice will serve as both inspiration and backdrop to the performance. Dramatically lit and wildly staged, the performers will make full use of the Millennium Film Center, climbing through the seats and aisles at various points during the performance. (The Millennium Film Center, 66 E. 4th Street, bet 2nd Ave and Bowery, 7pm-12am, $20)

BURLESQUE: Science Fiction/Double Feature
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=285521110895
Our story is set in the far-flung future in 2010. Joey Nova and Lars Pluto crash land on a strange planet called "Earth", inhabited by intergalactic rock stars, digital DJs, and captivating space vixens (who can't seem to keep their clothes on)! So what are these two shipwrecked space-travelers to do? Why, put on a sexy sc-fi-themed rock n roll burlesque show, of course! "Science Fiction/Double Feature" features performances by super-hot rock bands Star Machine, Crash Theory, and AM Preacher, with sci-fi burlesque by GiGi La Femme, Fem Appeal, The Flying Fox, Bird of Paradise, Rubie Fizz, and Hazel Honeysuckle! DJs Michael T. (Motherfucker, Rated X) and Jo Phantastic (of Starbolt 9) provide the space-age soundtrack! (The Delancey, 168 Delancey, bet Clinton & Attorney, 8pm, $10)

PARTY: GalaGalactic
Join the space squiddets as they colonize the luxurious lunar event space. Spacial grooves, deep, techy, electro, funky sexy tech house and adrenaline-pumpin’ breaks brought to you by Dexx (Squid Row), Tim Fielding (Squid Row), Lee Mayjahs (PEX), Nigel Richards (PEX). Intergalactic video art by deepness and guests. Late-night luminescent capoeira performance by special guests. Space age tarot readings. Face and body painting table. Dress Code: Out of this world supernatural space inhabitant, luminous mutant space goddess, exotic refugee sky creature, mod space bubble fantasm, silvery pie in the sky suits, space men, green men, glowing rings, stars, tubing, mirrors, molds + membranes, martians, space invaders, britelite, space hallucination, and pocket rockets! (Hudson Terrace, 621 W. 46th St. bet 11th and 12th Ave., use private east entrance, 9:30pm-4am, $20)

PARTY: Bathory's Night Jubilee 1
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=239008585557
http://www.nightofthequeens.piczo.com
First Edition of the sumptuous Masked Gothic, Vampire, and Renaissance style Fetish Party dedicated to the infamous Bloody Countess: Erzebeth of Bathory. You may wear fetish clothes and a mask (if you have no mask, we will provide some). Play, fetish, With DJ’ MONSTA… dance all night long! Snacks / appetizers served. Brought to you by Fetish Artist Laurent LeBeau! (Le Lupanar Lounge, downstairs, 103 Essex St., 9pm-4am, $10 in fetish, theme, gothic, vampire, creative attire, $20 in all black / regular clothes)


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SATURDAY
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PERFORMANCE: Fundraiser for Ray's Candy Shop
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=282925068100
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/nyregion/18candy.html
Ray Alvarez, who just turned 77 yr. old, is proprietor of Ray's Candy Store @ 113 Avenue A. We, a true community of downtown artists, neighbors, and fans of Ray, are having a benefit for him. He is not terribly behind on his rent, but is facing threats of eviction from his landlord (see NY Times article). We believe that it possible to help Ray, as the amount is NOT impossible to raise with the real community action that that is taking place now. Practical plans are also now being discussed to keep Ray in business long-term (His desire is to retire @ 80 yrs. old - 3 years from now.) Please help promote our DAY OF RAY to all who care about the true Lower East Side spirit of art, activism, and helping your neighbor. THIS is what community is all about! The lineup includes performances by Luigi Babe, Reww, Marilyn Kirby, Bowery Boys, Andrew Lisa, Shaker Pegs and many other musicians, artists and creative people of all varieties! (Sidewalk Cafe, 94 Avenue A, at 6th St., 12pm-6pm,
$5)

CLASS: Tarot for Lovers
http://www.tahutilodge.org/tarot_forlovers.php
Romantic quandaries and questions are probably the reason you got interested in Tarot--it's sure as hell the reason I first got into it--and love readings are way more juicy than any other kind of reading....:) Come on out and learn a few new tricks! This class focuses solely on the Love Reading. Students will discover the cards that represent their own romantic situation and those of their significant others and explore the romantic natures of both Trumps and Pips. Whether you single or partnered, this class will have interesting and helpful things to teach you! Great for readers who read regularly for others, as well as for those who primarily read for themselves. It will also provide new readings including the "Love Prescription" reading—when you consult the Tarot to find out how to bring new love into your life or increase the affection and chemistry in a relationship you already have! (440 Studios, 440 Lafayette St. bet Astor Place & E. 4th St., 4pm-6pm, $20)

MUSIC: Revival with Reverend Billy and the Life After Shopping Choir
http://www.revbilly.com/events/revival-at-the-92y-tribeca
Consumerism faded in 2009. Grosses down 6% and big retail flat-lined at Christmas. Celebrate with us - and in the coming year let's build on alternative economies, blank billboards, de-commercializing schools and keeping the public parks public. Drive the Devils from the cash tills of sweatshop companies! Let's celebrate the shops of Canal Street, the new Americans' ingenuity and long hours, the vendors and sidewalk and storefront tending by people from all over the world. Let's stand by them in the face of NYC's policing and gentrification. (92Y Tribeca Mainstage, 200 Hudson St. at Canal, 7pm, $10)

SOCIAL DANCING: Swing Remix
http://www.swingremix.com
This is our First event at the JCC in Manhattan for 2010. Our featured band will be Solomon Douglas Swingtet. This Sizzling Hot group is a fixture in the national Lindy Hop scene. They have a real talent for getting the floor grooving with dancers and you’ll feel the pulse in the air when they’re playing. This is Solomon Douglas’s first appearance with us so please give him a warm welcome! Instructor for our pre-dance workshop - Carol Fraser. Our DJ - Tomo, And special guest Balboa dancers Kate Helin and Bobby White will perform! The Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Auditorium (a state-of-the-art theater) has terrific acoustics, features a wall to wall wooden dance floor and a giant projection screen showcasing vintage dance footage. (JCC, 334 Amsterdam Ave by 76th Street, 6:15pm-1am, $14 dance/adv, $26 workshop and dance/adv, $16 dance/door, $20 workshop/door, $36 both/door)

PARTY: Totally Freakin' Awesome!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=302078257188
Finally, a night of live performance givin' some mad props to the flyest decade ever - the 90's! This show is "all that and a bag of chips", as we're bringing back some of the most "off the hook" entertainment of the 90's. Featuring "Phat" beats, "Fly" aerial, and "Hella Fresh" humor, this night of variety is the "Shiznit!" Stick around after the show and get Jiggy with it with our 90's dance party featuring hits by Ace of Base, Boyz 2 Men, C+C Music Factory, En Vogue and MORE! Word up! Talk to the Hand! Show me the Money! Enjoy 90's inspired refreshments by LoveGrrrl, such as gushers, dunkaroos, mountain dew and capri sun! (House of Yes, 342 Maujer Street., 8pm-12:30am, $10-$20 sliding scale)

MUSIC: Husnu Senlendirici and NY Gypsy All-Stars US Tour
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=254877113534
New York’s very own Gypsy All-Stars will bring back the Gypsy beat and funk – this time they will be joined by Turkish clarinet master Husnu Senlendirici for a celebration of Turkish and Balkan Music. Turkish-born Gypsy clarinet player Husnu Senlendirici is revered as a pop star in his native homeland. In the late 90s his Gypsy-funk outfit Laco Tayfa recorded and toured internationally with Brooklyn Funk Essentials. Since then Senlendirici has collaborated with Al Di Meola, tabla legend Zakir Hussain and Bulgarian clarinetist Ivo Paposov. Says the prolific New York trumpeter and bandleader Frank London, "In Turkey, the clarinet is their saxophone and Husnu is Michael Brecker, Branford Marsalis and Maceo Parker all rolled into one. He is constantly pushing the envelope in any musical setting, raising the bar whether playing pop, improvisation, progressive folk or dance music." Expect heart wrenching melodies, lavish ornamentation and off-beat improvisation against complex drum
rhythms – an East-meets-West fusion of the highest order. (Drom, 85 Ave. A, 10pm, $25/adv, $30/door)

MUSIC: Stumblebum Brass Band
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
http://www.myspace.com/stumblebumbrassband
Come to our BIG show introducing our NEW tuba player, Disco Ron, also know as the great Ron Caswell. One of the best around, he has played w/ everyone, everywhere including Slavic Soul Party, Beat Circus, City Opera. Let's haze him, get him really drunk and see if he rock out with us Stumblebum Style! (Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St., 11:30pm, $10)

PARTY: Hooch: Everybody’s Sweetheart
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=234171522659
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/95815
Vintage Valentine's party featuring music by the Stumblembum Brass Band and the Baby Soda Jazz Band; cabaret performances by Matt n' Danny Tap Dance; burlesque by Miss Delirium Tremons and Charlie Sierra, plus open bar all night, vintage style home-brews from Never Never Land and Bushwick Brews, a kissing photobooth by Joe Che (proprietor of Page Not Found speakeasy) and vintage valentine making! Tickets must be bought in advance! (Tribeca, location with ticket purchase, 9pm-3am, $40)

PARTY: Super Formal Benefit and Adventure Spectacular
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=278386694239
The Amazing, Awe inspiring, fever reducing, libido enhancing, booty shaking, earth shattering, prosthetic making, rapture inducing, mind expanding, muscle toning, teeth whitening, greatness producing, anti-microbial, probiotic, ail-curing, Superpower generating, DNA augmenting, space-time distorting, World Saving, "SUPER" Formal Benefit and Adventure SPECTACULAR! Join Dr. Adventure & Friends to raise money for the New Flesh Workshop to turn Science into Science FICTION! Proceeds will go towards developing cheap and durable prosthetic components. These components will be fabricated using recycled and readily available materials and manufacturing techniques which are viable in Third World countries, war-torn regions, disaster areas and remote locations. Entertainments include The New Flesh Fashion Show, PARTY ARMOR Auction and raffle; Hyper-Sapien Go-Go Boys & Cocktail Waitresses; and an orgasmic presentation by the Prince of the Future on prosthetics and how to use garbage and
nature to heal the lame. Dress code: Black Tie and Tights, Tuxes, Capes, Gowns and Masks. (Think Aquaman goes to the prom with Wonder Woman but NOT as their alter egos.) Music provided by DJs Felix Cumbe, Kimyon, Cobra Krames, 2melo and Shaggy2K, as well as live performances by Vox Illuminati, Sistine Criminals, Aliens and more. Open bar before 10:30pm. (The Fig Leaf Theater, 279 Church St., 9pm-4am, $20/adv, $30/door, $25 if you don't dress as your alter ego/door)


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SUNDAY
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BENEFIT: Paige's House of Collection presents: Afternoon High Tea, A Fundraising Event for The Wonderneath
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=437169925102
The Wonderneath is a new circus theater adventure that opens February 26th at the House of Yes. Set in turn-of-the-century New York City, The Wonderneath explores the otherworldly lair rumbling below the city's surface, where steam energy has seeped through granite and crystal, fractalized, and created a land where all that is wondered comes to be. Help raise funds to produce this sparkling and magic show while eating tasty treats and enjoying an indoor garden, sweet songs and good company. (House of Collection, 315 Berry bet S. 3rd and S. 4th, BK, call to be let in, 3pm-7pm, $10)

CLASS: Got Love? Heart Chakra Strengthening Yoga Session and Tarot Consultation
A simultaneously relaxing and stimulating afternoon with Yoga, Tarot--and snacks. Amy Ouzoonian will lead a workshop to observe the physical and spiritual healing and strengthening powers of the heart chakra. Through breath and gentle asana poses we will unlock our own ability to love and be loved. Participants should bring a mat. Water, towels and props will be provided. The practice for this workshop will be relaxing, strengthening and suitable for beginner and intermediate practioners, working with the pace of your personal practice. Vegetarian and Non-alcoholic refreshments will be served. You can also feel free to bring your own refreshments as well. Courtney Weber will be available for 15 minute Tarot consultations, focused on love and romance. Using a mixture of different spreads and Rune readings, Courtney will also provide the "Love Prescription" reading, which will help you improve your romantic circumstances. (48 St. Nicholas Place Apt. 25, 4pm-8pm, $30/single, $45
/couple)

TALK: Dime Stories
http://dimestories.org
Equal parts seductive and tiny, DimeStories are funny. They're heartwrenching. They're fictional or factual but, either way, they're all true. California's wildly popular micro-storytelling adventure makes its debut at Barbes with an all-star literary extravaganza and special musical guest! Come one! Come all! Try your hand at a DimeStory! Bring 3-minutes of prose (sorry, poets) to read to a live audience at our open mic. Beware: Three minute rule (500-600 words) is strictly adhered to. Register up to one hour before each performance to read, or just sit back and listen to New York's finest dime-sized stories! Come hear what a difference three minutes can make! (Barbes, 376 9th St. (corner of 6th Ave.), BK, 7pm,$5)

FILM: Aiwass Study Group - Movie Night
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=278253188953
The Aiwass Study Group invites you to attend a special viewing of two Alan Moore ("V for Vendetta", "From Hell", "Watchmen", "Promethea"...) movies in our makeshift projector loft theater in Brooklyn. We will begin shortly after 6pm with the documentary, "The Mindscape of Alan Moore", in which he discusses his philosophy on magick, art, and social change. Next, we'll be playing a special director's cut of the feature film, "The Watchmen". This version includes a segment that wasn't included in the theatrical release, but appeared in the original graphic novel, called "Tales of the Black Freighter". This gathering will be a potluck. Guests welcome. Please bring food or beverages to share. (Private Loft in BK - see invite, 6pm-10pm, FREE)


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MONDAY
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TALK: Open City Dialogues: Occult NYC
http://www.petescandystore.com/open%20city%20dialogue/ocd.html
Long before the "Aquarian Age" hit California, America’s laboratories of spiritual experiment were in the tenements of Hell’s Kitchen, the "Burned-Over District" of central New York State, and the ghostly hills of the Hudson River Valley. Mitch Horowitz, author of the acclaimed new history Occult America, will explore his encounters with New York’s astonishing – and frequently overlooked – role in spreading esoteric spirituality throughout America and the modern world. We’ll meet occult New Yorkers ranging from Edgar Allan Poe and Madame H.P. Blavatsky to lesser known but hugely influential personas such as the 19th century "Poughkeepsie seer" Andrew Jackson Davis and the colonial-era medium called the "Publick Universal Friend." (And along the way discover why a nice Jewish kid from Queens came to embrace "the other side.") (Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer St, 7:30pm, FREE)


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THURSDAY
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READING: powerHouse Arena presents: Anti-Valentine's Day party and reading from It's Not You, It's Me: The Poetry of Breakup
http://www.powerhousearena.com
Hosted by Jonathan Ames and anthology editor Jerry Williams, featuring contributing poets Bob Hicok, Donna Masini, and Mark Halliday. Jonathan Ames emcees a round-robin reading of humorous, wise, bitter, and uplifting breakup-inspired poetry from this new anthology. Poet and anthology editor Jerry Williams & several contributing poets will be on hand to read and discuss their love lives and their work at this, our Anti-Valentine's Day Party! (poweHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, Dumbo, BK, 7pm-9pm, FREE)

PERFORMANCE: Annie's Shakespeare Shakedown: Romeo and Juliet
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=279735788656
We've compressed the whole of Romeo and Juliet to fit into the night of Juliet's Coming Out Party. When you come down the stairs, you enter Lord Capulet's party, in the process of being crashed by Romeo and his buddies. For the rest of the evening, you talk, dance, flirt and party with Romeo, Mercutio, Paris, Lord and Lady Capulet - all the characters of Shakespeare's classic love story. You also witness the events of the play unfolding around you, from R&J's first kiss, to the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, to the final tragic scene. Come see Shakespeare's great work in a way you've never experienced it before! Live, and up close! With a live band, awesome DJ, drinks, and a party all around you! China One is one of the sexiest venues in Alphabet City. Chinese lamps, red velvet and a plethora of makeout nooks compliment this loud and sexy evening. (China One, 50 ave B bet 3rd and 4th St., 7pm-11pm, $10)

BURLESQUE: Porno Jim's Otherworld Revue
An amazing evening of porn and perversion starring Rosabelle Selavy, Veronica Vroom and, making her Otherworld Revue debut: Gigi La Femme! Plus Go-Go by Carin, free porn DVDs and more. (The Slipper Room, 167 Orchard St. at Stanton, 8pm, $10)


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ONGOING
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PERFORMANCE: The BodyCartography Project: 1/2 Life
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=273438275705
1/2 Life investigates the survival of the body amidst a world of scientific research, data, and control. Swimming across the Pacific Ocean, connecting nuclear super power USA, atomic survivor Japan and nuclear free New Zealand, 1/2 Life creates a contemporary ritual to address our dormant nuclear nightmares. Dance and video artists Olive Bieringa and Otto Ramstad bring together an extraordinary collaborative team including composer and harpist Zeena Parkins, visual artist Emmett Ramstad, physicist Bryce Beverlin II, performer Takemi Kitamura and a critical mass of twelve. (Feb. 10-14, Performance Space 122, 150 1st Ave. at E. 9th St., Wed - Sat at 8PM, Sun 6PM, $20)

DANCE: Oh, Those Beautiful Weimar Girls
http://www.newstagetheatre.org/performances/weimar_girls.shtml
http://www.lamama.org
The New Stage Theatre Company presents a stylishly morbid theatrical cabaret version of its 2008 play "Oh, Those Beautiful Weimar Girls." It is an evening of music and dance inspired by the life and artistry of Anita Berber, the dancer/poet who epitomized for many the decadence of Weimar era Berlin. Conceived and directed by Ildiko Nemeth. Choreography is by Julie Atlaz Muz and Peter Schmitz. Lighting design is by Federico Restrepo; Costume design is by Javier Bone Carbone. The cast will include Chris Tanner, Kaylin Lee Clinton, Catherine Correa, Gary Hernandez, Markus Hirnigel, Lisa Kathryn Hokans, Denice Kondik, Sarah Lemp, Florencia Minniti, Fabiyan Pemble-Belkin, Dana, Boll, Madeleine James, John Rosania, Christine Ann Ryndank and Jeanne Lauren Smith. (thru Feb.7, Fri/Sat 10pm, Sun 8pm, The Club @ LaMaMa, 74A East 4th Street bet 2nd Ave and Bowery, $20)

FILM: Sita Sings the Blues
http://www.symphonyspace.org/event/6199-sita-sings-the-blues
Tragedy, comedy and musical collide in this gloriously animated film from New York’s own "One Woman Pixar" (Wired). Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three bickering shadow puppets act as comic narrators as these old and new stories are interwoven in a post-modern retelling of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, animated in a dazzling mix of traditional and collage animation styles. Sita Sings the Blues follows in the line of Triplets of Bellville and Spirited Away to exemplify animation as a "serious" art form -- which does not stop it from being laugh-out-loud funny! A panoply of monsters, gods, goddesses, warriors, sages, and winged eyeballs fill the screen with vivid color from start to finish, while the narrators’ improvisational debates over the Rama legend join the filmmaker’s own tragicomic story to layer a modern feminist commentary on the ancient tale. The resu
lt is a subtly subversive, visually stunning, highly original work that is as enjoyable for children as it is for adults. (thru 2/14, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, Sun. 5:30pm, $11)

PERFORMANCE: The Theatre of a Two-headed Calf's: Trifles
ovationtix.com/trs/pr/702385
The 1916 one-act by Susan Glaspell set at the scene of a bizarre murder in the Midwest in 1900. Those accustomed to Two-headed Calf’s loud, explosive and physically rigorous performances are in for a surprise. With Trifles, director Brooke O’Harra and composer Brendan Connelly team up with the new music ensemble Yarn/Wire to approach Glaspell’s text as part concert, part play, and part meditation on crime, empathy, and sisterhood. [G&S NOTE: From NonsenseNYC] (thru 2/14, Ontological Theater, 131 East 10th Street, 8p; $17, $14 student)

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
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)


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