FRANZ NICOLAY
Franz Nicolay will be playing various different types of shows all over town in September (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Thursday, September 2, Highline Ballroom, 431 West 16th St., $10-$12, 8:00
Wednesday, September 15, the Tank, 354 West 45th St., 7:00
Sunday, September 26, Vivo in Vivo, 215 East Fourth St., $25, 8:00
www.myspace.com/franznicolay
www.sinkingshipproductions.com
In a recent interview with novelist Peter Bognanni for InDigest magazine, Brooklyn musician Franz Nicolay mentioned “restlessness” as one of the reasons why he never stays too long in one band and keeps trying new things. He is one restless dude, because over the last ten years or so he’s been part of the art collective Anti-Social Music, the World/Inferno Friendship Society, Against Me!, Guignol, and, most famously, the Hold Steady. He plays the piano, accordion, guitar, mandolin, saw, and harmonica. He wears funky hats and has a weird mustache. And he makes a lot of great music. His solo work has included the January 2009 full-length MAJOR GENERAL and the October 2009 EP ST. SEBASTIAN OF THE SHORT STAGE, and he and Guignol teamed up with Philly’s Mischief Brew on the outstanding FIGHT DIRTY, packing them in at Shea Stadium (the tiny Brooklyn club) for a great night of Gypsy punk last December. This month, Nicolay will be all over the place, celebrating the upcoming release of LUCK AND COURAGE (October 12, Team Science/Sabot), a terrific concept album about a nation of two that we’ve been listening to a lot more than we have the last few Hold Steady records. Influenced by Kurt Vonnegut, Cormac McCarthy, and Nicole Krauss, the literary-minded Nicolay, who also writes short stories for InDigest and participates in the Bushwick Book Club mash-up of books and music, called in lots of his friends to contribute to LUCK AND COURAGE, including drummer Brian Viglione from the Dresden Dolls, bassist Yula Be’eri from the World/Inferno Friendship Society, and pianist Maria Sonevytsky from the Debutante Hour, in addition to Gutbucket saxophonist Ken Thomson, Demander guitarist Jared Scott, Son Volt pedal steel guitarist Mark Spencer, Lazarus Quartet trumpeter Ben Holmes, and Pearl and the Beard cellist Emily Hope Price. Nicolay & Major General will be at the Highline Ballroom on September 2 with Eddie the Gun and Yula Be’eri; Nicolay will then be doing Talking Heads covers with puppets at the Tank’s Puppet Playlist on September 15 before playing a solo gig September 16 at the wine salon Vivo in Vivo. And who knows what’s next…
WYE OAK
Baltimore duo Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack do not really hope you die (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston St.
Wednesday, September 1, $12-$14, 7:30
212-260-4700
www.myspace.com/wyeoak
www.mercuryloungenyc.com
wye oak at the siren festival
Indie legend Lou Barlow, who has played with such groups as Sebadoh, Dinosaur Jr., and the Folk Implosion and is currently touring with his band the Missingmen behind his latest solo album, GOODNIGHT UNKNOWN (Merge, October 2009), may be the main act at the Mercury Lounge on September 1, but we highly recommend you get there in time to catch openers Wye Oak, who impressed at this year’s Siren Festival. Hailing from Baltimore, lead singer/guitarist Jenn Wasner and drummer Andy Stack play an enchanting blend of shoegazing indie country folk, their songs moving sedately between beautiful harmonies, Americana roots rock, and sudden bursts of noise. Their debut album, 2008’s IF CHILDREN, featured the majestic “If Children Were Wishes,” while their 2009 follow-up, THE KNOT, held such gems as “For Prayer” and “Siamese.” Earlier this summer they released a terrific five-track EP, MY NEIGHBOR / MY CREATOR (Merge, June 2010), another hard-to-pin-down collection of songs and sounds that range from the lovely harmonies and closing spacey trip of “My Neighbor” to the harmonica-laden “Emmylou,” which would have felt right at home at Woodstock, to the sweetly titled “I Hope You Die,” which ends with an eerie sax outro. And then things get downright funky on the Mickey Free remix of “That I Do.” Merge labelmates Barlow and Wye Oak should make for one heckuva cool show.
OUTDOOR BOUND ADVENTURES: PHOTOGRAPHY HIKES AND CLASSES
Photography hikes through Central Park and Coney Island teach how to get the most out of your camera (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Central Park Photography Hike, Wednesday, September 1, $49, 6:00
Coney Island Photo Class, Saturday, September 11, $49, 3:00
Central Park at Night Photography Class, Saturday, September 18, $49, 8:30
Central Park Photography Hike, Sunday, September 19, $49, 3:30
www.outdoorbound.com
The digital revolution has turned everyone into a would-be photographer, but most people are still not getting the most out of their cameras. Owners Kirk Reynolds and Connie Magee of Outdoor Bound Adventures are looking to change that. Since December 2003, Reynolds and Magee, who also serve as guides and are advanced wilderness EMTs and Leave No Trace trainers, have been reinventing the company as it enters its second quarter-century, introducing new weekend retreats, city escapes, youth excursions, and other outdoor experiences. Some of their most popular events are their photography classes, in which photographer and teacher JP Pullos, who spent three years working for famed lenser Patrick McMullan, leads small groups through Central Park and Coney Island, two of the most photographed places in the world, helping people better understand what they can do with their cameras.
Outdoor Bound photography teacher JP Pullos would have a lot to say about this picture (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Whether it’s a simple point-and-shoot or a more complicated SLR, Pullos shows that there’s a lot more than most people realize to the instruments as he discusses deep focus, white balance, shutter speed, aperture, light and dark, ISO, and other photographic elements. For the Central Park hike, he makes stops at such familiar spots as Bethesda Fountain, the boat pond, and Belvedere Castle, giving the class time to wander around and experiment with their cameras, then offering individual advice to help make everyone a better photographer. There are several photo tours scheduled for September, but you’ll have to act fast, because class size is limited and these hikes often sell out well in advance; for example, the Central Park photography hike scheduled for September 12 is already full, but there is still availability for tours on September 1, 11, 18, and 19.
CINEMA 16
Maya Deren’s WITCH’S CRADLE is among group of experimental films being screened at Smack Mellon
Smack Mellon Gallery
92 Plymouth St.
Thursday, September 2, 7:00
Suggested donation: $10
718-834-8761
www.smackmellon.org
www.cinemasixteen.com
Curator Molly Surno and Cinema 16, which is dedicated to communal avant-garde film experiences, have put together a special one-time-only program that will be held September 2 at Smack Mellon Gallery in DUMBO. Among the shorts being screened are WITCH’S CRADLE (Maya Deren, 1943), which features Marcel Duchamp and Maya Deren, whose films inspired the creation of Cinema 16 back in 1947; ALEPH (Wallace Berman, 1956-66), collage artist Wallace Berman’s only film; and DOJOJI TEMPLE (Kihachiro Kawamoto, 1976), a classic work of Japanese animation. Just for this event, Brooklyn’s Thomas Arsenault, aka Ablehearts, has composed a score, which he will perform live with composer, songwriter, and experimental guitarist Michael Beharie. We have a soft spot for Cinema 16, as it was founded by Amos and Marcia Vogel; we studied under Professor Amos Vogel, who wrote the seminal book FILM AS A SUBVERSIVE ART.
HEAVY CREAM
Heavy Cream will be spilling all over the city for the next week (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Wednesday, September 1, Union Pool, 484 Union Ave., 10:30
Thursday, September 2, Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow St., $8, 8:00
Monday, September 6, Rock Shop, 249 Fourth Ave., $10, 4:30
Tuesday, September 7, Death by Audio, 49 South Second St., 8:00
www.myspace.com/heavycreamband
heavy cream rocks off slideshow
It could be a bummer of a summer if you don’t catch Heavy Cream before fall takes over. The Nashville garage punks tear through Ramones-like originals that clock in around two minutes or less, ripping it up with such fast-paced tunage as “Run Free,” “Hawkwound,” “Watusi,” “Heart of Darkness,” “Tina,” and “Lava Lamp,” which actually borrows liberally from “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.” Oh, and there’s also “Summer Bummer.” The band is on the road with their debut record, DANNY (August 2010, Infinity Cat), which was produced by Jake Orrall of the awesome Jeff the Brotherhood. Heavy Cream recently opened for the Detroit Cobras aboard the Half Moon Rocks Off Concert Cruise, and perhaps what was most impressive was how lead singer Jessica, bassist Daniel, and guitarist Mimi kept their balance while the boat rocked from side to side; at least drummer Melissa could sit behind her drum kit. Jessica wandered through the crowd and, at times, got down on the floor as she sang it loud. Heavy Cream will be at Union Pool with Boogie Boarder and Sweet Bulbs on September 1, at Cake Shop with Unnatural Helpers on September 2, at the Rock Shop’s all-day Labor Day BBQ with Pterodactyl, Dinowalrus, and Shingles on September 6, and at Death by Audio with Hunters on September 7.
PENWALD: 4: UNISON SYMMETRY STANDING
The public is invited to watch Tony Orrico create installation drawing in DTW lobby August 31 – September 2
Dance Theater Workshop
219 West 19th St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
August 31 – September 2, free, 5:00 – 9:00
212-924-0077
www.dancetheaterworkshop.org
From August 31 through September 2, visual artist and performer Tony Orrico will create a movement-based drawing in three parts in the Dance Theater Workshop lobby, working nonstop for four hours each day, from 5:00 to 9:00, with the public is invited to watch free of charge. More than just a wall mural, “Penwald: 4: unison symmetry standing” will feature Orrico using his body in unique ways as the piece comes together, right in front of everyone’s eyes. On his website Orrico writes that “this series considers explorations of symmetry and biomechanics alongside themes of measurement, pathway, gravity, energy, chaos, efficiency, endurance, limitation, repetition, and isolation.” Born in Illinois in 1979, Orrico has danced with Shen Wei Arts and Trisha Brown, presented site-specific performance-art pieces at such locations as Judson Memorial Church and Dixon Place in New York City, Sara Park in Arizona, and a barren landscape in Porto, Portugal; earlier incarnations of “Penwald” have taken place at Postmaster Gallery, PlaceMark, and the Red Horse Café. The final installation will be on view at DTW for an extended period of time.
JIMMY SCOTT: 85th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Jimmy Scott wowed the crowd at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival on Sunday in Tompkins Square Park (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Blue Note
131 West Third St.
August 31 & September 1, bar $20, table $35, 8:00 & 10:30
212-475-8592
www.bluenote.net
www.jimmyscottofficialwebsite.org
Born in Cleveland in 1925, Jimmy Scott started singing as a young child. At thirteen, he developed Kallman’s syndrome, which stunted his growth and left him with a high-pitched, feminine voice. He eventually grew eight more inches, but his voice never fully matured — and has been dazzling jazz fans for decades. On Sunday at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Tompkins Square Park, Scott, who turned eighty-five in July, treated a packed crowd to splendid versions of such standards as “It Had to Be You,” “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” and “Embraceable You,” which he had performed with Bird himself back in 1950. Although he is now confined to a wheelchair and can’t hit or hold the notes like he used to, Scott still displays his uncanny knack for vocal phrasing and emotional power, and his sense of humor was evident in his delightful between-song patter. However, in one poignant moment during “Motherless Child,” Scott looked up to the sky after singing, “I’m ready to go home.” Scott, backed by the excellent Jazz Expressions — T. K. Blue on alto sax, Alex Minasian on piano, Hillard Greene on stand-up bass, and Dwayne Broadnax on drums — will be celebrating his eighty-fifth birthday in style at the Blue Note with four shows over two nights, featuring special guest Gregoire Maret.
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